Hi. It has been wonderful bringing the bees, tending to them, and teaching and learning along with the students. We have accomplished and learned so much during our two elective sessions.
In the first session, we worked together to install a colony of bees, put together a hive, build a hive stand, plant some herbs they would like, and create a wine barrel pond with aquatic plants and fish to provide a nearby water source. Throughout we learned we learned about honeybees and native bees.
The second group of elective students built a native bee hotel, conducted regular hive inspections, harvested wax, and participated in a honey tasting.
There is so much to learn about bees and the telling of their stories enraptures listeners. Last night I dreamt of our bees and there are some who believe that the bees have a special relationship with their beekeepers and communicate with them in their dreams.
For now, our colony is alive and on campus, which is all I ask of them, and I hope they remain alive through winter.
Thank you to BeeWise for providing curriculum and the money to support our Orchard bee program, to Manila and Rosy for saying go for it, and to teachers and families for your enthusiasm and encouragement.
70% of our food is available thanks to honeybee pollination.
