#4-h

#4-h

When life gets stressful, one of the oldest tried and true remedies comes from the calming scent of flowers. Lavender is at the top of that list, and when it's an entire field of lavender it can waft our troubles away with both the sight and aroma. Petaluma residents can see and enjoy such a visage on Chapman Lane where the Lavender Bee Farm has been enchanting locals and international guests for many years.

Santa Rosa 9-year-old Nicholas Bard is a walking encyclopedia of honeybee facts. A colony needs 30 to 60 pounds of honey to survive each winter. The average lifespan of bees is about two weeks. And individuals hold distinct jobs, from cleaners to foragers, during their life cycle. Nicholas knows how much bees contribute to California's agricultural economy and the alarming rate at which the population is declining.