Leading Students for Sustainability together in the 2017-2018 school year, Calvin and I had the idea to somehow obtain and steward an apiary for the Fleming College Frost Campus.
The project was initially brought to our attention (the Students for Sustainability – SFS) by staff members at the college from the Office of Sustainability. Instantly, we knew we wanted to work towards accomplishing this. The more we sat down and hashed out details and potentials, the more excited we became at the thought that Fleming College might very well get its own apiary.
The incredible staff members at Fleming who spearheaded this initiative accomplished a great deal of work. They figured out the logistics, legalities, and purchasing. The SFS with its incredible team of volunteers contributed by fundraising to contribute towards purchase. The SFS team worked to promote the project, educated students, and spread awareness about the current situation of decline in pollinators.
With an incredibly successful fundraising campaign and assistance from the WWF Go Wild School Grants, we were able to raise over $1000! All funds were used directly to purchase the bees, hives, and all necessary equipment.
Currently, there are two hives located on campus beside the local community garden. The bees will undoubtedly serve an irreplaceable role within the local environment and community as they will help to pollinate local wildflowers, vegetables, fruits, crops, and many other plants.
In time, the Frost Campus Apiary will serve as an integral component to campus and community education by raising awareness about pollinator and honeybee decline and critical role in biodiversity and food security. Applied learning in beekeeping can be achieved through on campus workshops for students, events and curriculum linked activities. This apiary can prove to be an integral stimulus for applied research to better understand the dynamics between bee ecology, the natural environment and public health.
Calvin Swan, Environmental Technician 2018, Health, Safety, and Environmental Compliance 2019, Fleming College
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Adam Alaimo, Environmental Technician 2018, Environmental Technology 2019, Fleming College