Earlier in April I started a beginners beekeeping course with my local beekeeping society. This course has been long awaited, having been postponed for 12 months due to the pandemic.
In 2019 I had attended a couple of taster sessions at my local apiary. These are designed to help potential beekeepers decide if this is really for them. Apparently, the feel of the protective clothing and the hum of the bees in the hives can be quite off putting to some people, and stops any thoughts of beekeeping for those individuals right there and then.
This got me thinking about beekeeping for children and how this could be used as part of a care farm or green care space. There are some wonderful introduction sessions available for children such as from Hen Corner with their Bees for Children days. They cover the basics such as learning about bees, the role of the beekeeper, how they make honey, what they collect and the all important chance to taste the honey. They also offer an opportunity to safely watch the bees in an observation hive.
These types of sessions could also be offered on care farms and if that interests you then the British Beekeepers Association has plenty of advice on Junior Beekeeping.
If bee hives are not suitable for your outdoor space or your care farm clients you could look at attracting other types of bees. Yesterday I attended a fascinating online NYC GreenThumb course on 'creating habitats for native pollinators'. New York City Urban Park Ranger Ashley showed us how to make and care for a solitary bee house and how to encourage pollinators in to our gardens.
In my next blog I'm looking forward to sharing some exciting news on my Churchill Fellowship.
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