Kent Free Library is excited to host an all-ages, free screening of My Garden of a Thousand Bees on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:00 pm in the 2nd floor meeting room. Then make a mason bee house to provide protected habitat for the native pollinators in your back yard. No registration required. For all ages (16 and under must be accompanied by an adult). Limited to one craft per household.

Bees and other pollinators play a crucial role in nature, pollinating fruits, vegetables, grains, and flowers that are essential to both human agriculture and wild ecosystems; however, these important pollinators are facing challenges from habitat and food supply decline, pesticides, and more. At our screening of My Garden of a Thousand Bees, attendees will experience the beauty and biodiversity of native bees and learn how to support these important local pollinators.

See bees like you’ve never seen them before in the PBS Nature documentary, My Garden of a Thousand Bees. Locked down during the coronavirus pandemic, acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn set out to record all the bee species in his tiny urban garden in Bristol, England. Filming with one-of-a-kind lenses he forged at his kitchen table, he catalogues more than 60 different species, from Britain’s largest bumblebees to scissor bees the size of mosquitoes. Over long months, Dohrn observes how differences in behavior set different species apart. He eventually gets so close to the bees he can identify individuals by sight, documenting life at their level as we have never seen it before.

We are pleased to offer this My Garden of a Thousand Bees screening as part of the nationwide #PlantWildflowers campaign that highlights the critical role bees and other pollinators play in healthy ecosystems. In support of the film, My Garden of a Thousand Bees, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and PBS Nature launched the #PlantWildflowers campaign to encourage communities across the U.S. to better understand the importance of native bees and other pollinators and to create new pollinator habitats where pollinators can thrive.

“We hope this film astonishes and delights audiences as they watch never before seen footage documenting the daily lives of different species of bees, said Dr. Sean B. Carroll, Head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios. “And we want everyone who sees this film to realize that wherever they are, they can make a difference for native bees like the ones in the film by planting their own pollinator-friendly wildflowers.”

Nature pioneered a television genre that is now widely emulated in the broadcast industry, bringing the natural world to millions of viewers. The series has won more than 700 honors from the television industry, the international wildlife film communities and environmental organizations, including 20 Emmys and three Peabodys. Consistently among the most-watched primetime series on PBS, Nature continues to innovate through original digital programming and a commitment to converting viewers into doers. Nature’s award-winning website, PBS.ORG/NATURE, features full episodes, short films, digital series, behind-the-scenes content, news articles, educational resources and more. Nature is available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including http://www.PBS.ORG and the PBS VIDEO APP, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS PASSPORT. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS PASSPORT FAQ website. Nature is a production of The WNET Group for PBS.

About HHMI Tangled Bank Studios

HHMI Tangled Bank Studios is a mission-driven production company that crafts exceptional films about science and scientists for broadcast, theatrical and digital distribution. As storytellers within a world class science organization, the studio is uniquely positioned to shine a light on some of the most significant scientific challenges and breakthroughs of our time. Recent films include Emmy Award-winners The Serengeti Rules and The Farthest – Voyager In Space; Emmy-nominated Nature’s Fear Factor; Peabody Award winner Inventing Tomorrow; Ric Burns’ critically acclaimed documentary feature Oliver Sacks – His Own Life; and the 2022 Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary feature All That Breathes. To deepen the learning and extend the reach of each film project, the studio undertakes educational and public outreach efforts in partnership with mission-driven organizations.  For more information, please visit WWW.TANGLEDBANKSTUDIOS.ORG.

About Martin Dohrn and Passion Pictures 
To produce the documentary My Garden of a Thousand Bees, acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn teamed up with producer and director David Allen at Passion Pictures. With two Academy Awards, Passion is at the forefront of documentary production specializing in both feature doc productions and landmark natural history productions. Martin Dohrn is an Emmy award-winning, three-time Bafta-nominated filmmaker who has been producing natural history films for more than 30 years. During this time, he has devised game-changing techniques in low-light and macro filming, allowing audiences remarkable new insights into the natural world. David Allen is a five-time Emmy award winner and is recognized as one of the leading directors in his field, creating inspiring range of science and natural history documentaries.  For more information, please visit WWW.PASSION-PICTURES.COM/WORK/SPECIALIST-FACTUAL.