Launch the media gallery 1 playerCMS Hawkeyes Tend to Beehives in Outdoor Classroom
April 01, 2019
In May of 2018, beehives were installed in the Outdoor Classroom at Cherokee Middle School. The hope is to connect Hawkeyes students with conservation and real world events. Pollinators are on a downward trend due to many factors but are so important for human survival. Overtime, bees will produce honey from plants in the outdoor classroom and surrounding area that students will collect and potentially sell as a fundraiser for the program. Collecting and processing the honey will also expose students to the idea of farm to table, instilling a sense of place, and a greater idea of how all things are connected.
There are several different types of bees, each type having its own characteristics varying in honey producing ability and varying demeanor. Bees are ordered from a trusted supplier by the NUC, which means that I receive 5 frames with an Italian queen bee that is already laying eggs and approximately 10,000 workers. By mid-summer, the colony could contain around 60,000 bees. Some hives can get as large as 100,000 bees.
