A land-based learning program that teaches kids and youth about the importance of bees has partnered with a local honey making company to share their expertise about the winged insects.
The program, sponsored by Odawa Native Friendship Centre in Ottawa, is operating in the town of Richmond, just south of they city.
According to Jennifer Kohoko, healing and wellness coordinator at the centre, it’s all part of an opportunity for kids and youth around Ottawa to learn about bees.
She said this year they’ve partnered with Gees Bees, a local honey company to share some of their expertise.
“We have additional training with them this year, so that’s something new that we didn’t quite have before and we would like to eventually get some of our participants certified in beekeeping, because I think it’s really important for the environment and for the future,” she said.
Eight-year-old Aryana Meekis joined in on the experience for the first time this summer. She suited up from head to toe and got close and personal with the honey bees.
She couldn’t contain her excitement.
“It was very fun, like, I like how there’s like a swarm of bees like just flying around like, there’s someone here, ‘Oh No,’” she said.
Kohoko said a new group of kids and youth comes out every other week to check on the hives.
Tahlia Leger, 11, said she’s never been that close to so many bees and that at first, she was nervous, but quickly gained an interest and learned some facts.
“You can make like with the bees wax, actually you can make a whole bunch of stuff, you can make candles, you can make lip balms, you can make like a whole bunch of stuff and that the like, if there’s not a queen bee, you can’t like have like other bees, and that apparently be the queen bee lays 1500 eggs per day,” she said.
The program, now in its 4th year, runs until the end of September. The honey from the hives will be sold at the end of the season.
