BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A new exhibit at a downtown Bakersfield museum will soon be buzzing – with more than just residents coming to see the new displays.

The Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science will be opening its new exhibit – “Bee-utiful Bees” – Saturday, aiming to educate the public on the importance of bees.

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“From exploring bee biology to showcasing the remarkable diversity of native species in Bakersfield, Bee-utiful Bees invites visitors to encounter bees up close and see them in a whole new light,” Scott Peat, a Professor of Biology at Bakersfield College, said in the exhibit’s press release. “Through striking imagery that reveals the unexpected beauty of native bees and engaging, kid-friendly interactive displays, the exhibit highlights the indispensable role native bees play in sustaining healthy ecosystems.”

According to California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, bees – or pollinators – help with plant reproduction by moving pollen between flowers, playing a key role in biodiversity. Although several bee species have been added to California’s list of state and federally endangered and threatened animals, about 80% of flower plants need pollinators to survive.

Koral Hancharick, executive director of the museum, said the exhibit will show a variety of bee species, ranging from larger, fuzzy bees to species that are smaller than a grain of rice. All the bees displayed will be local to Bakersfield and Kern County.

Hancharick said the exhibit will be interactive where visitors will be able to use a net to “catch” different bees and learn about different species. The display will also have videos of different bees pollinating flowers playing.

“When you see the bees blown up, you can see how beautiful they are,” Hancharick said.   “We’re just really excited about it, because bees are so important to our community, and every aspect of growth, farming and anything growing in plants requires bees to help them.”

After seeing the exhibit, Hancharick said she hopes visitors have a new understanding of bees and their role in California’s ecosystem.

“I hope that they learn that bees are important here to us, and that they don’t just go out and kill them, because everybody always thinks, ‘Oh, a bee, it’s gonna sting me, let’s kill it,’” she said.  “If at all possible, we should just kind of move away from it and just move away from the bee and let it do its pollinating and what it needs to do.”

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She said the exhibition is also part of the museum’s goal to make science fun.

New exhibits “make science fun, which leads to career building, because they might choose a career that they might not have if they hadn’t been exposed to a fun factor that goes along with that career,” Hancharick said.

The “Bee-utiful Bees” exhibit will be on display for about one year, starting on Saturday, April 11, when it formally opens after a soft launch in late March.

The museum will be hosting a kick-off event for the exhibit, on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More information about the event can be found here.

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