Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Apiary

One of the science teachers at our school recently won a $1000 grant to establish an apiary at our school, and the bees arrived last weekend! Here is a photo of the teacher getting them settled into their new home, with the principal helping out:

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This science teacher is the lady I get the delicious eggs from. She's also in charge of the 4H club at our school, and along with another science teacher (the head of the Environmental Club), she's doing so many wonderful and interesting things! Here is a what I wrote on the school's social media pages about the apiary:

This past weekend Mrs. Howard's bees arrived! We now have an apiary consisting of two nuc-sized colonies (nuc-sized contain 5 frames of bees which fit perfectly in the new observation hive). Students will have the opportunity to observe bees up close and how these important pollinators benefit the gardens.
Sneed Middle School is a Green Steps Certified School. The Environmental Club has established two pollinator gardens and a certified wildlife habitat. The 4-H club has a raised bed garden and has also been learning about growing foods hydroponically (foods produced are donated to Harvest Hope Food Bank). The addition of our bee colonies will benefit these programs greatly!
Thanks again to Mrs. Howard for writing the grant proposal for the new apiary and her dedication to providing new learning opportunities for our students!
Also thanks to Ms. Cagle for helping to settle the bees in their new home!

I feel so fortunate, still, to have my job! Every day is interesting and fun for me. I'm looking forward to watching the hive mature and (hopefully!) thrive. 


23 comments:

  1. and we SO need the honeybees to pollinate the crops!

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    1. The honeybees need all the help they can get.

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  2. I know you had to wait forever and ever to find this job but Honey (no pun intended), it was worth it. What a beautiful place to be every day!

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    1. It was worth the wait. My first year is almost done and I still feel so fortunate to be where I am!

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  3. People don’t realize how much time and energy that teachers give to their students. They often go far beyond the classroom work and school books to show children about life and nature. Bless them all.

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    1. The really good teachers do so much work that goes unnoticed and, all too often, unappreciated.

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  4. I love bees but I am very allergic.
    We are very lucky to have Arizona Bees here. They are solitary and live in their own space and not a hive. I have planted a lot of rosemary bushes and very old citrus trees for them.. They love it and I love them.
    I have four new homes for them to be put up. They are very gentle and keep to themselves.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. It's wonderful to hear about people taking care of bees, even despite allergies!

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  5. I would have loved to learn Beekeeping when I was at school. One of my (minor) regrets in life is not having kept Bees!

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    1. I'm excited to learn about beekeeping, although I seriously doubt I'll ever do it myself (other than planting a bee-friendly garden when we finally buy a house).

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  6. This job sounds so rewarding. I love bees and appreciate their importance. But I can't look at a photo without feeling the need to grab for my EpiPen!

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  7. What a cool project! It's a great way to teach the kids about the value of bees and their importance to the world's ecology. And to get honey!

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    1. I'm hoping that in the next few years our bee colony grows and becomes something to really take pride in. :)

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  8. Apiary? Does that mean you have got chimpanzees running around the school?

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    1. The closer it gets to the end of the year, the more it feels like we're running an "APE-iary". The kids get wilder and wilder!

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  9. Sounds like a lovely school you work at.

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    1. It's a good one, or at least it seems so to me. But it's the only one I've ever worked in, so what do I know?

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  10. What a great idea. Bees are so important and there are sure to be some kids who will carry this experience over into their adulthood. Well done Mrs Howard!
    Alphie

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    1. Well done indeed! Mrs. Howard has baby chicks hatching in her classroom, and hydroponic plants, and all sorts of great, hands-on ways to learn about science.

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  11. You are fortunate to be working in an environment that encourages learning. I'm a little afraid of bees, but I am sure it is only because I don't know anything about them. I hope you will pass on what you learn about them!

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    1. I'll periodically give updates here on the blog about the hive!

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  12. My dad has kept bees since I was about ten years old and I've always enjoyed having them around, even though I never got personally involved

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