VOL. CXVIII, No. 27
DailyBarometer.com
monday, October 19, 2015 Oregon State University
Heather March | THE DAILY BAROMETER
The buzz on Corvallis beekeeping By Chloe Stewart News Contributor
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in interest in some of the most unassuming but vital contributors to our ecosystem — honeybees and other native pollinators. All around the world, these species have been plagued by seemingly never ending problems. Unfortunately, the state of Oregon is no exception. According to faculty research assistant Carolyn Breece of OSU’s Honey Bee Research and Extension program, honeybee populations in Oregon are suffering annual losses that have doubled in the last few years. “Right now, we’re hovering around 30
percent losses after winter, and that’s really too high to be sustainable for beekeepers in Oregon and throughout the country as well,” Breece said. The reasons for these losses are abundant and often difficult to pin down. Jen Larsen, beekeeping specialist at Shonnard’s Nursery, described a number of problems that are affecting hives in the Corvallis area, including infestations of invasive varroa mites, exposure to pesticides, and poor nutrition. “Lack of good forage for bees is another huge one,” Larsen said. “It reduces their immune capacity, it reduces nutrition overall.” The loss of bees can already be felt in
local business. Working to keep bee hives happy and healthy enough to make an income can be difficult and very expensive for local beekeepers like Ethan Bennett, owner of Honey Tree Apiaries. “Maintaining a large number of beehives without sustaining losses of over 30 percent, it’s difficult to make money on,” Bennett said. While there may be many difficulties to tackle and it may be slow going, work is being done to support local pollinator populations. According to Larsen and Breece, there has been a great increase in small-scale beekeeping in the last 5 years. More edu-
See Bees, Page 8
Upper Room: prayer room neighboring campus provides peaceful location for student worship By Riley Youngman News Contributor
Heather March | THE DAILY BAROMETER
The Upper Room provides students with a peaceful place to pray and worship.
IN THIS ISSUE >>>
Located just off the Oregon State University campus, a local prayer room offers students and the general public a place to quietly worship and reflect. Found above The Beanery coffee shop on the corner of 26th St. and Monroe, the Upper Room has been available to the public since late 2009. Graham Seaders, the director of the Upper Room and one of the original founders of the room, opened the area with the intention of providing the community with a safe space that was available to anyone who may need it. “We’ve done a lot of things here, but our main vision is to provide a safe, peaceful place to pray,” Seaders said. Six years ago, Seaders and his friends, many of whom were Oregon State University students at the time, had visions to improve the neighborhood by opening a public prayer room that would provide a safe and peaceful place for worship and reflection to those that desire it. After establishing the idea, pieces began to
We want anyone to feel welcome, no matter where they are on their spiritual journey. Graham Seaders Upper Room Director fall into place and the Upper Room officially opened to the public on Oct. 31, 2009. Since opening, the Upper Room has seen steady use, but Seaders would like to see more. “I hope one day the room will be a place of prayer 24/7 with people always here,” Seaders said.
See Room, Page 3
Artic oil plans canceled, NEWS, PAGE 2 Beavers drop the ball in Palouse, SPORTS, PAGE 4 Middle East updates, INTERNATIONAL, PAGE 7