Last week I had the great pleasure of being invited to help teach a few classes of 1st graders all about bees!
My friend, Karen Gallion-Biggers (above right), is a volunteer teacher with the BUGS (Better Understanding Garden Science) program at Brittan Acres Elementary School in San Carlos, CA. The BUGS program mission is: To better understand nature, the relationships necessary for the growth of the plants and where plants fit into the cycle of life. This month’s session is BEES!
I came to the school all dressed in my suit and veil, much to the children’s delight. I brought with me a drone frame, super frame, and brood frame to show the different sizes. I also brought along a jar of Sunset honey, a piece of comb from the hive, a piece of our melted and filtered wax, and a tube of my lip balm. The children (and teachers!) got a kick out of seeing all the different products the bees can bring us.
Karen asked me a series of questions covering the basics of beekeeping; we passed around a few show-and-tell items and generally just had good fun interacting with the inquisitive 1st graders.
I’m glad I was able to do my part to spread the word about the importance of bees.
By Kimberley Burch, Sunset imaging specialist