Page 7 - kids ebook

Picking a physical location for the beehives is also necessary at this point – of most value may be a small undevel-
oped plot inside a community garden or behind a building with little foot traffic. The key is to secure approval
from the property owners either in a written contract or possibly an agreement with the school’s facilities manag-
er. Outline the roles and responsibilities for both parties.

The next step is to partner with a local beekeeping organization or school club focused on a similar mission. The
goal here is to pool together resources and talents. If no organization exists, create one and invite parents, farm-
ers, businesses, schools, and other community members to join – in other words, the guardians of children who
attend the place you wish to put the beehives at. These will be the strong allies and suspicious critics you must
rally.

After some time, there will be enough momentum to schedule a meeting with the “decision-makers”. Two im-
portant documents will assist your pitch. The first is a “Safety Plan” that will be assembled within 100 feet of the
apiary site. The plan consists of an emergency removal contact list, medical procedures in case of a honey bee
sting, warning signs and a fence to prevent trespassing, and a full list of equipment and supplies to be stored on
site.

The second document is a Beekeeping Ordinance that alleviates restrictions on keeping honey bees in close prox-
imity to residential areas or within city limits. Ask your town council if such a law exists and work with the coun-
cil to make it more bee-friendly. If need be, use other ordinances as templates, such as the city of Ashland or Eu-
gene, both located in Oregon, or Oregon’s House Bill 2653 of 2015 (more info at residentialbeekeeping.org ).

Should the project get approved, congratulations! You did it! Now work with beekeepers to get the hives in-
stalled and come up with a plan for their yearlong management. Begin to craft learning experiences with teachers
and secure parental consent for students who want to participate. These lessons can range from science topics in
biology to botany, with other subjects and aspects of hands-on curriculum woven in between. The learning may
look different depending on what’s going on that time of the year – summer camps, outdoor field trips, pollinator
planting events, honey spinning, and fundraisers, to name a few.

The bottom line is that the longevity of a campus apiary lies in communication. This includes clear safety precau-
tions when kids interact with active colonies, as well as identifying needs and seeking input from the community
or school. In addition, it is a good idea to promote and market successes of your project, which may support how
beekeeping engages students, cuts absenteeism, boosts cooperative learning skills, and improves test scores. The
outcomes will look different depending on your vantage point. Whatever shape it takes, make it positive.

There are innumerable benefits to install beehives on school campuses. First, youth feel a deeper connection to
their school and the outdoors, thus making them more engaged academically and socially. Second, local commu-
nities benefit from having more trained and dedicated young people willing to help solve local problems. And fi-
nally, teachers build positive relationships with students and find joy in their profession again. It’s a model worth
replicating.

Bring bees to schools. The buzz is audible. Good luck!
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