LACBA Speaker April 6 - Celeste Santarrosa
Overview of LA Vector Control District
Celeste Santarrosa is a public health outreach professional dedicated to protecting community health through education and prevention. She works directly with residents, local organizations, and community partners to reduce mosquito and other vector-borne disease risks through education, prevention programs, and public engagement initiatives. Her work focuses on increasing public awareness, strengthening reporting and response systems, and ensuring communities have the tools they need to reduce health risks at home and in their neighborhoods across Greater Los Angeles.
Topics of Discussion for the meeting:
Understanding mosquito-borne diseases and local risk factors
Overview of District departments and their prevention strategies
Practical steps residents can take to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sources
How residents can request services or report concerns
Information on Spray operation and how to protect bee water sources
LACBA Speaker May 4, 2026 - Phoebe Piper
Stories for Newbees
Phoebe Piper is a Certified Master Beekeeper and owner of the Los Angeles based beekeeping company, The Hive Tribe Beekeeping. Together with her team, she cares for over 100 hives in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Phoebe came into beekeeping with a background in animal husbandry and instantly fell in love with bees and the impact they have on the environment. She loves sharing her passion with others as a way to foster interest in the small, often overlooked ecosystems in our own backyards.
LACBA Speaker July 6, 2026 - Keith Roberts
Share the Buzz - Beekeeping for veterans program
Keith Roberts is a Los Angeles–based beekeeper, educator, and co-founder of The Valley Hive, a beekeeping and education center located at Topanga Nursery in Chatsworth. His journey began after encountering an observation hive at the Los Angeles County Fair—an experience that sparked a lifelong passion for bees and led him to study under respected beekeeper Walt McBride.
Roberts quickly became a leader in the local beekeeping community, serving as President of the Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association and continuing to teach and mentor new beekeepers. Through The Valley Hive, he has built a hub that blends hands-on experiences, retail, and education—offering everything from beginner classes to immersive beekeeping experiences that connect people directly with the craft.
He is also the President of Share The Buzz, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to beekeeping education. A core focus of the organization is helping military veterans suffering from PTSD find relief through working with bees—offering them purpose, calm, and connection through hands-on time in the hives.
Known for his belief that beekeeping is an ancient and meaningful practice, Roberts emphasizes authenticity, stewardship, and respect for the natural world. His work focuses not only on producing high-quality, local honey, but also on fostering a deeper public understanding of bees and their essential role in our ecosystem.
LACBA Speaker September 7, 2026 - Dr. Ruben Alarcón
Impacts of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions at 10,000 ft.
Dr. Ruben Alarcón, earned his Ph.D. at UC Riverside, where he studied plant-pollinator communities in high elevation mountain meadows. For his postdoctoral work at University of Arizona, he studied hawkmoth communities, followed by an entomology research position at the USDA’s Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson, AZ. Dr. Ruben Alarcón is currently the Chair of Biology at CSU Channel Islands and regularly teaches Entomology, Behavioral Ecology, and Apiculture & Bee Biology. His research focuses on pollinator ecology, honeybee health, and sustainable agriculture. He is the faculty advisor for the Bee Club. On his free time, Dr. Alarcón enjoys backpacking, kayaking, fishing, and volunteering with Canine Adoption and Rescue League https://carldogs.org/
