Wilmington resident named new beekeeper at Will County’s Plum Creek Nature Center

The Forest Preserve District of Will County has welcomed a new beekeeper to Plum Creek Nature Center, and he’s a Will County resident.

Dade Bradley of Wilmington has been hired to care for the live observational hive at the nature center and lead the district’s monthly Meet a Beekeeper programs, according to a news release from the forest preserve district.

Bradley began beekeeping as a college freshman and is now pursuing a graduate degree at Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden, according to the forest preserve district.

The next session is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 7, at the nature center, 27064 S. Dutton Road, Beecher. The program is free and open to all ages.

Bradley discovered beekeeping while studying biology at Blackburn College in Carlinville, where “he quickly went from curious observer to helping manage more than 20 hives,” the forest preserve district said.

Bees are “not as scary as you think. They’re really fascinating creatures – way smarter than people give them credit for," Bradley said in the release.

At each Meet a Beekeeper session, Bradley will be available to answer questions, explain hive activity and share fun facts about bees, from how they communicate to how honey is made.

“I love talking to folks about bees, especially people who come wanting to learn about them,” he said in the release.