Elementary School
Earth Day
In late April 2022, I had the opportunity to work with a local elementary school to bring honey bees into their annual Earth Day celebration! I had the privileged of working with students from Kindergarten through 5th grade. In these presentations, we discussed why we want to be bee friendly, what is pollination, why honey bees specifically are important, to duties of the queen bee, the structure of a beehive, honey bee products, and several other snippets of information!
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Throughout the event, The "Bee Friendly Pledge" gained 210 signatures, and 210 minds ready to be bee friendly!
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As part of the sustainable aspect of my gold award, I have documented two lesson plans that will be conducted annually in the earth fest celebration.
To access the K - Grade 2 full lesson plan, click here.
To access the Grades 3 - 5 full lesson plan, click here.
Why are Honey Bees essential for our food supply?
Most of the fresh produce found at grocery stores for purchase originate from vast farms. Acres upon acres of property are planted with a single crop that needs to be pollinated to bear fruit. Pollinators, including honey bees, require a varied diet to thrive. While there are many different types of pollinators in the world, many of them such as native bees and hornets live either a solitary life or build homes in permanently stationary places such as the ground or hanging from a branch of a tree.
Here is where honey bees come in... Honey bee hives are portable. Commercial beekeepers literally strap the beehives to flatbed trucks and bring them to farms at precisely the right moment when the crops are flowering. The bees happily feast on the crop of the month, and then are transported to the next crop! A single hive can pollinate NY apples in spring, NJ blueberries in summer, and then FL oranges in fall!
What is Beeswax?
Beeswax is a natural wax made by honey bees to construct the honeycomb where honey, pollen and baby bees (eggs, larvae, pupae) are housed. Humans gather beeswax when they remove the cappings of honeycombs during the process of extracting honey. While has been re-purposed by humans in many ways. Among other uses, beeswax can be a main ingredient in candles, is used in many cosmetics products, as an ingredient in soaps, and as a lubricant. It is edible and is even used in many food items.
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Beeswax can be nearly white in color and as dark as brown, but is most often yellow. It has a quite pleasant and recognized soft scent.
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau