Miss Bee Haven with her pointed hat and surrounded by pumpkins. — Miss Bee Haven, a six-foot-long worker bee sculpture that anchors the UC Davis Bee Haven, looked bee-witching at The Haven's first-ever Halloween party. The ceramic-mosaic sculpture is the work of UC Davis alumna and artist Donna Billick. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis Bee Haven Halloween: Bee-Witching and Boo-tiful

A Special Event to Celebrate Pollinators and Halloween

by Kathy Keatley Garvey
November 02, 2026

Three smiling adults outdoors by painted box with pumpkins and decorative horse. — From left are E. L. Niño lab members, Joe Tauzer, manager of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility; Samantha "Sam" Murray, education and garden coordinator of The UC Davis Haven; and Kian Nikzad, co-program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The UC Davis Bee Haven's first-ever Halloween party proved to be both bee-witching and boo-utiul.

The free and family-friendly event drew dozens of children, students and adults dressed in costumes ranging from witches and wizards to bees and butterflies. They came to celebrate Halloween and learn about pollinators. One group included Girl Scouts.

"Overall, we wanted to create an event that was interactive, educational, and fun for visitors of all ages, giving everyone an opportunity to explore the Bee Haven, learn about different pollinators, and take home something meaningful from their experience," said Samantha "Sam" Murray, garden and education coordinator of The Haven.

The half-acre demonstration pollinator garden, installed in the fall of 2009 and located at 1 Biology Drive, off Hutchinson Drive, is maintained by the E. L. Niño lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. The Haven includes more than 200 native plants. "Miss Bee Haven," a six-foot-long worker bee sculpture of ceramic and mosaic--the work of UC Davis alumna Donna Billick--anchors the garden.

E. L. Niño lab members, including Murray; Joe Tauzer, manager of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility; Kian Nikzad, co-program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program; Anya Hoepfinger, a new member of the lab, and Mackenna Weems, an undergraduate student intern, staffed the Halloween event, along with volunteers from the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden.

Anya Hoepfinger stands by a table featuring bats as pollinators. — Anya Hoepfinger of the E. L. Nino lab, staffed a table focusing on bats. Bats, too, are pollinators. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Murray described the various stations.

"The first table, located near Miss Bee Haven, focused on honey bee and native bee education," Murray related. "This was the starting point for visitors, where they could pick up some pollen to carry with them as they visited each station. At each stop, they could collect additional pollen while learning something new and discovering how different pollinators contribute to our ecosystems."

"Visitors could also pick up a scavenger hunt featuring things to discover throughout the Bee Haven, including garden-related items, pollinators, different flower types, and spooky Halloween-themed finds. This was also the final stop on the visitor journey, where everyone could return their collected pollen in exchange for sweet rewards! These included candy, stickers, and fun Halloween vampire fangs. Visitors could also learn more about our Great Native Bee Count campaign and how they can support native bee research."

"Our next stop was Hummingbird Corner, where visitors could learn all about hummingbirds and their important role as pollinators while getting into the Halloween spirit with our theme, 'Humming Up Some Magic!'"

The "Bee-ware" station was where visitors could play a pollinator matching game, matching different pollinators with the flowers they visit. They could also participate in a hands-on pollination demonstration to learn more about how pollination works, Murray said.

Adults with face paint and costumed children painting a bright flower mural outdoors (photo) — This group just finished answering questions about pollinators. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"At our bat station, visitors could discover some fascinating facts about bats, including how they pollinate many of our favorite fruits, such as guava, coconuts, bananas, avocados, and durian," she shared. "They could also learn about the important roles bats play in insect control and seed dispersal. To make the station even more interactive, we offered a bat craft activity where visitors could create their own beautiful bats, decorating their wings with coffee filters and bringing their own unique creations to life."

"In our pollinator education area, we had a 'Pin the Squash Bee on the Squash Flower' activity, where visitors could learn about these fascinating native bees and their important relationship with squash plants while having fun with a pollinator-themed twist on the classic 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey' game.

"We also offered a 'Create Your Own Pollinator Garden' activity, where visitors could design their own gardens using flower patches and other essential habitat elements, including water sources, native bee nesting houses, and a diversity of floral resources to support pollinators."

Rafa Nino in pink sweatshirt at outdoor table under vine-covered pergola to two seated people — Rafa Niño, 11, answers questions about hummingbirds from UC Davis environmental scientist majors Grace Loeffelholz and Angelina Shibata, who are "Learning by Leading" ambassadors with the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Right next to this activity, we had our 'Haven Bloom' station, where visitors could take home their very own Haven Bloom ball containing native seeds to plant in their gardens and help support pollinators right at home! We also had a face-painting station in this area, where children could choose fun designs, including bees and spooky ghosts."

"Near our Permission Tree, we invited the UC Davis Public Garden and Arboretum to join us for the festivities with their own educational booth. They hosted a fun 'Pollinator Personality Quiz,' where visitors could answer questions about themselves to discover which pollinator best matched their personality. Some of the possible results included a sweat bee, honey bee, Anna's hummingbird, and sphinx moth. It was a wonderful way to introduce visitors to different pollinators while making the learning experience fun and engaging."

"Finally, we had a fun game area where visitors could toss beanbags onto our beautiful pollinator-themed game board, painted by Anya Hoepfinger from our lab. We also had cornhole games available for visitors to enjoy!"

The garden is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. There is no admission charge. Bee scientist Elino Niño, Extension professor of apiculture and a member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, directs the garden and is the founder-director of the UC Davis Master Beekeeper Program.