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Some facts and graphics from Apiculture NZ.

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Bee Facts There are seven species of honey bee in the world, but the most common one, domesticated for honey production and crop pollination, is the European honey bee (Apis mellifera).

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Bee Aware Month Schools’ Video Competition winner.

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Bees fit into the Enviroschools theme area - Living landscapes

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Bees fit into the Enviroschools theme area - Living landscapes

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Use the Living Landscapes resources to help you identify - measure - decide and take action for bees and other insects.

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You can just use beeswax.

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Step by step: Make your own beeswax wraps

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Toko School research and look after beehives.

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Toko School research and look after beehives.

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Newspaper article.

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Toko School pupils are buzzing with excitement about beehives. The school owns bees, butterflies, worms and chickens.

Read all about their efforts to care for their bees, including planting bee friendly plants and harvesting and selling the honey from the hives.

Ka mau te wehi Toko School!

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Toko School Pupils Research and Look after Beehives

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Toko School pupils are buzzing with excitement about beehives. The school owns bees, butterflies, worms and chickens. Read all about their efforts to care for their bees, including planting bee friendly plants and harvesting and selling the honey from the hives. Ka mau te wehi Toko...

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Some advise from the Sustainability Trust.

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Did you know that one mouthful in three is directly thanks to bee pollination? Bee Aware Month (every September) is a chance for us to learn about the incredible value bees bring to our lives and find out how we can help them!

Around the world is there is growing concern about the health of bees. The humble bee is threatened by disease, mites, pesticide use and habitat degradation.

Here in New Zealand however, we have more honey bees than ever before - one million colonies, each of which can produce up to 150kgs of honey per year.

This is double the honey bee population of ten years ago - a boom fuelled by growing demand for mānuka honey. On the plus side, this means a massive pollinator population that supports our agriculture and biodiversity. However, making sure these bees are fed by having plenty of flowers around is a big job!
Why do we need to bee aware?
When we look after our honey bees we also look after our native bees - lesser-known bees who are small, don't make honey and live in the ground.

Little is known about them but it is these wee friends that are under threat in New Zealand.
What can I do?

Grow plants in your garden that attract bees. Bees love plants with ample amounts of pollen and nectar such as borage, lavender, rosemary, calendula and forget-me-not. Read more at Trees for Bees.

Don't mow your lawn too often, leave clover and dandelion in the lawn for a while for bees to forage on (if you can stand it).

Eat more organic food to encourage producers to limit pesticides on crops.

If you come across a swarm of bees don't call the exterminators but instead, call your local beekeeping club. Having said this you do want to destroy wasp nests as they rob beehive honey stores.

Garden organically. Look for bee-friendly sprays and use them at dusk when the bees are back in their hives.

Create a shallow pond with pebbles around the edge in your garden where bees can land to collect water.

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Bee awareness month - Sustainability Trust Wellington

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Around the world is there is growing concern about the health of bees. The humble bee is threatened by disease, mites, pesticide use and habitat degradation. Here in New Zealand however, we have more honey bees than ever before - one million colonies, each of which can produce up to 150kgs of honey per year.

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Science Learning Hub - Pollination - healing qualities of honey.

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Science education resources related to the topic Bees

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Inspiring story of how 3 schools girls created an app and website for looking after bees.

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Inspiring story of how 3 schools girls created an app and website for looking after bees.

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A love for bees and a passion for technology have led three Southland schoolgirls to create an app highlighting the pollinators' plight. The app has won them the South Island regional prize in the Tech Girl Superhero competition. The Beefriend Pi project is the result of hours of work by Madi McGearty, Kaycee Winsloe and Sophie Cundall in the McGearty family shed in Makarewa, north of Invercargill.

"They also won the prestigious overall United Nations environmental award, and they have been invited to submit their project to the World Technovation Challenge to be held in San Francisco next year," says Madi's mum Ginia McGearty. "They are very excited at the thought of where this project could lead to helping the bees."

To enter Next Tech Girl Superhero, the children had to create an app about something they were interested in, along with a business plan and a pitch video. The competition is open to children in Australia and New Zealand.
READ MORE:
* Kids' quiz: how much do you know about bees?
* Plight of the bumblebee
* Why do flowers smell?
"We've noticed a big change in the bee population and how it's decreasing," nine-year-old Madi McGearty says. "And if we don't have bees it's not going to be good for us."

Her teammate Kaycee Winsloe, 10, says educating other children their age about the importance of bees was a key aim, and they've learned a lot more themselves, such as the fact bees seem to have their own personalities. "Different bees have different ways of getting to places and collecting pollen," she says.

Beefriend Pi came about when Madi's nana Karen Popham saw a story about the Next Tech Girl Superhero competition in the newspaper. "I thought, 'That would be good for the girls', not knowing how much it would involve," she says.

Popham is a gardener by trade and had talked to her granddaughter about the environment and the declining bee population, but the technology side of the project was another matter. "I have done my own website so I did know a bit," she says. "But I knew nothing about coding. I actually had to teach myself how to code before I taught them. It was huge. I was up to two and three in the morning just learning it."

The girls were full of enthusiasm for both bees and coding, however. Every Sunday from 11am to 3pm they would gather in the McGearty shed with Popham and their mentor, former teacher Gabby Asplin.

The girls did all the illustrations for the colourful app themselves and made the promotional video. It contains facts about bees, information on how to promote healthy bee populations as well as Q and As.

Next Tech Girl Superhero is run by the Tech Girls Movement, founded by Queensland social entrepreneur Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen. It is a non-profit organisation aimed at promoting careers for women in technology and creating a more diverse IT workforce.

Sophie Cundall in particular could see her future career going in either the direction of technology or the environment. "Ever since we did this app it's got me really hooked in and I enjoy it heaps," she says.

But as is the way with 10-year-olds, she also says she likes working outdoors and had "kind of noticed" there weren't as many bees around. "It's just been a great experience. We've made people aware and we've done something out of our comfort zone," Sophie adds.

The three young bee ambassadors are also keen to take part in the Great Kiwi Bee Count, 's annual citizen survey of the bee population.

Popham says the three girls have learned a great deal, in particular how to work as a team. She also believes it is children who hold the key to encouraging the world to be more bee friendly. "It's the kids that keep reminding the parents," she says. "They'll say to mum, 'don't spray during the day, because the bees are out pollinating'."

- NZ Gardener

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Southland schoolgirls' bee-saving app creates winning buzz

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A love for bees and a passion for technology have led three Southland schoolgirls to create an app highlighting the pollinators' plight. The app has won them the South Island regional prize in the Tech Girl Superhero competition.

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A Home Gardener’s Guide To Safe, Bee-Friendly Pesticides

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Looking for a way to fight pests or weeds in your garden? Many popular insecticides and weed killers are labeled as nontoxic and "biodegradable," but recent science has shown otherwise. Monsanto's popular glyphosate-based herbicide, Roundup, for instance, has been proven to suffocate human cells, and has been linked to an array of health problems like cancer, autism, heart disease, and depression.

Not only do these toxic chemicals affect human health, but they have also been proven to be a major cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, the phenomenon that occurs when honeybees die off at record rates. Studies have shown that when a bee lands on a flower treated with many popular and much-advertised pesticides, they attack the bee's central nervous system, disorienting it, and damaging its thinking and memory. Bees poisoned by pesticides will struggle and often fail to find their way back to the hive, and thus the colony collapses.

Given that bees are our main pollinator, it doesn't make sense to use pesticides that have been proven to kill them, especially when there are alternatives that are safe, easy to use, and cost effective. Chances are you've already got some of these tucked away in your pantry.

Neem Oil

Derived from the Azadirachta indicaevergreen tree native to the Indian subcontinent, neem has been hailed as the organic gardener's best friend. While highly effective at repelling a variety of pests such as mites and aphids, as well as certain fungal diseases like powdery mildew, this oil, when used at correct doses, will pose no threat to people or pollinators. Unlike chemical pesticides, neem is biodegradable, breaks down quickly, and leaves no lasting residue. Neem oil is powerful, so be sure that your homemade solution is properly diluted- it should include no more than 3% oil.

Vinegar

Due to their acidic nature, both white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar can be used as effective weed killers. Fill up a watering can or spray bottle and apply it directly to the difficult weeds you'd like to nix. You can also mix up a little cocktail of one gallon vinegar, with one cup Epsom Salt, and a tablespoon of castile soap.

Epsom Salt

An ideal component of any organic garden, Epsom salts are completely safe, non-toxic, and bee-friendly. In addition to being a magnesium-rich fertilizer for tomato and pepper plants, Epsom salts are also an effective way of keeping slimy critters like slugs and snails off your plants. Simply sprinkle salts around the base of affected plants, or apply a half-water, half-salt saline spray to the leaves of plants affected by other pests, like beetles.

Chrysanthemum

Naturally containing a pest-repelling compound called "pyrethrin," Chrysanthemums can be planted in a garden to repel pests, or made into tea that can be sprayed onto the leaves of plants (after it's cooled down, of course.)

Pepper, Garlic, and Onion

Just as pepper spray is harsh for human skin, at milder concentrations, it works similarly on the bodies of insects. A handful of chili or habanero peppers, garlic, or onions can be pulverized in a blender with a few cups or water, boiled over the stove, then cooled and transferred to a gallon container. Add extra water to make sure you don't burn your plants, and be sure to wear gloves and protect your eyes when making this mixture.

Castile Soap

Given its much-lauded gentleness and non-toxicity, it might come as a surprise that castile soap is a potent pesticide. Its effectiveness stems from the fatty acids present in the olive oil-based soap, so be sure to use the real deal; dish soaps and detergents will be both ineffective and harmful here. Mix up a solution with only about 2% soap, and feel free to add a little cooking oil, vinegar, neem oil, or pepper to the mix.

Aluminum Foil

Don't want to throw out the aluminum foil left over from that dinner you made last night? You can re-use it in the garden to repel aphids. Cut the foil into strips and wrap them around the base of plants affected, or tear it up and mix it in with the mulch around your plants. The light reflections will confuse pests and drive them away.

Essential Oils

An important component of many natural insect repellents intended for bodily use, Eucalyptus oil is also an effective method of keeping harmful bugs away from your garden. Strong, pungent smells are what works here. Other essential oils to use include orange, peppermint, and rosemary. Sprinkle a few drops around the area, or add them to a spray bottle full of water, and apply directly to the endangered plants.

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A Home Gardener's Guide To Safe, Bee-Friendly Pesticides - Garden Collage

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Looking for a way to fight pests or weeds in your garden? Many popular insecticides and weed killers are labeled as nontoxic and "biodegradable," but recent science has shown otherwise. Monsanto's popular glyphosate-based herbicide, Roundup, for instance, has been proven to suffocate human cells, and has been linked to an array of health problems like cancer, autism, heart disease, and depression.

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Our aim, our kaupapa, our programme.

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Hinepūtehue - Qualities of the gourd, restoring peace, calm and healing with its soothing tones and musical qualities

Ka mihi ki a Ranginui, ki a Papatūānuku, ka mihi ki te ngao o te wheiao.

Enviroschools is a nationwide programme supported by Toimata Foundation, founding partner Te Mauri Tau, and a large network of regional partners. Early childhood centres and schools commit to a long-term sustainability journey, where tamariki/students connect with and explore the environment, then plan, design and take action in their local places in collaboration with their communities.

Our Kaupapa

The Enviroschools kaupapa is about creating a healthy, peaceful, sustainable world through learning and taking action together.

Our Kaupapa guides all that we do and is embodied in five guiding principles that underpin the whole Enviroschools journey:

Empowered Learners participate in meaningful ways in their community. Their unique perspectives and questions are valued and honoured. They feel connected to the whenua and support each other as a learning community to create meaningful change and hopeful action.

Learning for Sustainabilit y is a holistic, action and future-focused approach to learning, that engages our whole selves and addresses all aspects of our local and global environment.

Te Ao Māori honours tangata whenua of this land. When we are envisioning and taking action for a sustainable future in our community, we are doing so alongside local hapū.

Respect for Diversity is celebrated, and all forms of identity and ability are respected. Cultural traditions and practices from all people are experienced, valued and appreciated in learning spaces, honouring practices led by that community. Access to safe and engaging learning is available to everyone.

Sustainable Communities act in ways that nurture all aspects of nature, including people, now and in the future. By working together and supporting each other we create safe, healthy, equitable and thriving communities.

The Enviroschools Approach

Every early childhood centre and school across the country is unique, with its own ecology, history, culture and community - so Enviroschools looks different in every setting. The journey of connecting with the place and its people is designed and led by each school or centre. There are some key steps, or processes that many centres and schools have found valuable to undertake, as outlined in the diagram below. Experience has shown that the components of the Enviroschools process are not linear - they overlap, are revisited, modified and further developed, supporting schools and centres to develop their own holistic approach that deepens over time.

Exploring the Kaupapa

A great way to start your Enviroschools journey is for school and early childhood centre staff to explore the Enviroschools Programme in depth, celebrate where they're at, and plan their process going forward.

Facilitator support

Enviroschools facilitators support the whole school/centre journey, assisting teachers, caretakers, school management and community members to integrate sustainability and Environmental Education into their roles including classroom learning, planning, policies and Enviroschools projects.

Envirogroup

The Envirogroup gives voice to student ideas and ensures that decisions are made in a participatory way and is made up of students, staff and community members.

Experiencing the environment

The Enviroschools Kit and Theme Areas offer activities and tools to support students' sensory immersion in the environment, increasing their awareness of the world they are a part of.

Taking Action

A range of Enviroschools tools support students to collaboratively plan, design and take action on the issues that they are passionate about.

Whānau, Iwi and community

Connecting with tangata whenua, local organisations and whānau strengthens understanding of Māori values and enriches the learning and action process for young people.

Policies, strategies and care codes

Integrating sustainability and the Enviroschools kaupapa into strategies enables a whole school / centre approach.

Vision map

Is a visual representation of the aspirations, qualities and projects agreed by the whole school/ centre. It is displayed in a public place and guides the Enviroschools journey over time.

The Action Learning Cycle

Guides the whole school journey and individual projects. It enables children and young people to be empowered to investigate, explore ideas, make decisions, take action and reflect on the changes they have created.

Reflection and Celebration

Reflecting on the process, achievements and learning gives opportunity to deepen learning and celebrate the whole collaborative process along the journey.

Enviroschools Support Structure

The vision of creating healthy, peaceful more sustainable communities involves bringing together many different skills, perspectives and resources. Building and maintaining a collaborative support network has been essential to the development of Enviroschools. The Enviroschools support model has multiple levels of collaborators, each playing different roles.

We mihi to the hundreds of organisations and our partners that have woven their contributions over 20 years, into the vibrant and resilient support model we now have.

National Hub

Toimata Foundation in partnership with Te Mauri Tau holds overall programme development spearheading innovation and direction for Enviroschools nationwide and providing Enviroschools resources, facilitator training, mentoring and professional development.

Regional Implementation network

A strong network of regional partners bring skills and on the ground support enabling the implementation of the Enviroschools programme. They support Regional Coordination and facilitation. An Enviroschools Regional Coordinator directs the programme regionally and supports a team of Enviroschools Facilitators who work with schools and centres.

Schools and centres

Contribute staff time, project costs and capital investments to their Enviroschools, journey - enabling staff professional development, student-led projects, policies that promote sustainability and using Enviroschools as a holistic context for the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Whåriki.

The wider community

Plays a key role in the Enviroschool's journey. There is substantial support from local businesses, community organisations and individuals providing donated goods, volunteer time, advice and expertise. This helps schools and centres implement practical projects and fully develop their sustainability plans and visions.

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About Enviroschools Ka mihi ki a Ranginui, ki a Papatūānuku, ka mihi ki te ngao o te wheiao. Enviroschools is a nationwide programme supported by Toimata Foundation, founding partner Te Mauri Tau, and a large network of regional partners. Early childhood centres and schools commit...

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Find out about what enviroschools do and are doing.

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Creating Change

The holistic, long-term Enviroschools journey creates fertile ground for a range of learning and action.

When tamariki/ students connect with their place and its people, and then plan, design and take action, they are creating change.

Through this empowering experience, they will become life-long change-makers. The collective exploration is based in the concept of ako, where all participants are simultaneously learners and teachers, and everybody learns from each other. It is a process of co-creation between people and all of the elements and energies around us. Caring for our place and the whole planet becomes a living curriculum where skills and competencies are gained through experience and mahi within meaningful community settings.

In the following stories you can see how Enviroschools participants are learning with their heads, hands and hearts - connecting with nature, exploring indigenous wisdoms, forming relationships with tangata whenua, collaborating with people in their diverse communities, and finding out about their own qualities and passions. Learning and action in Enviroschools does not just have environmental outcomes but social, cultural and economic benefits too.

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Creating Change The holistic, long-term Enviroschools journey creates fertile ground for a range of learning and action. When tamariki/ students connect with their place and its people, and then plan, design and take action, they are creating change. Through this empowering experience, they will become...

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by Janet Luke on December 30, 2013 in Gardening With the Kids, Make Your Own, Public Articles

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Connected Level 2 2012 - all articles to do with bees.

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Koranui School - how they took action for bees in their school.

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Koranui School - how they took action for bees in their school.

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Shows the process the students went through.

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Science Learning Hub - supported with planning and resources.

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Students investigate the physical and chemical properties of various honeys to design a way to distinguish Mānuka honey from other types of honey.

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Science Learning Hub - supported with planning and resources.

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Flowering plants create seeds, which get spread away from the parents and grow into new plants in new places. Pollination has to happen before seeds can be made, so flowers have a range of ways to make sure it does.

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Story of Te Aro School and their Bee business. School Journal Level 3 2016

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Orange1 - Notes to accompany story here

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Landcare research - loads of information about what to plant in gardens and on farms. Links to some education resources too.

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Home | Trees for Bees NZ. Smart planting for healthy bees.

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Trees for Bees NZ. Smart planting for healthy bees. Bee-friendly land management

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Beeing A Honey Maker - The Room 3 Honeypots

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Beeing A Honey Maker - The Room 3 Honeypots

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Music video advocating looking after bees.

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Reflects and includes the story of Rata and the Tree.
Kete Kōrero - Tūmanko Productions

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Get involved ... taking action ...... citizen science opportunities  .. Kaitiakitanga ..... what others have done.

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Get involved ... taking action ...... citizen science opportunities  .. Kaitiakitanga ..... what others have done.

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How bugs are cool and all have a role to play.

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Explaining the role of bugs in pollinating our food !

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Story: Te aitanga pepeke – the insect world - Te Ara - Encyclopedia of NZ

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Story: Te aitanga pepeke – the insect world - Te Ara - Encyclopedia of NZ

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Pūrākau and whakapapa of insects.

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Te aitanga pepeke - the insect world - Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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Why do sandflies bite us so fiercely? They are taking revenge on Tū, the god of humankind, for killing Namuiria, the first sandfly. Midges, moths, cicadas, mosquitoes and other insects feature in many traditional Māori stories, especially the battles fought by Tāne, guardian of the forest and its tiny creatures.

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Species, activities, origins

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Insects - overview - Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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New Zealand teems with thousands of different insects. The country's isolation and temperate climate have given rise to a distinctive insect fauna. More than 90% of species can be found nowhere else, and many have evolved remarkably differently from their relatives overseas.

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Stories that tell about our native animals or our earth processes.

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Story of Tāne and Whiro embedded in the story. Whiro sends insects to attack Tāne.
Kete Kōrero - Tūmanko Productions

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Insects and birds remind Rata about the tikanga of karakia.
Burnham School - Room 2

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Here are different information sources for you to use in your inquiry.