Adventurers visit Leeds Beekeepers Association

It was a lovely warm, Spring morning when the Adventurers from Leeds Central Club visited the Leeds Beekeepers Apiary at Temple Newsam to learn about honey bees and complete their Honey Bee Award.

The Adventurer Club provides the opportunity for parents to learn and grow with their children. Using arts & crafts, outdoor activities, camping & field trips, and by providing the chance for children to engage in community service projects etc, the club experience will enhance their natural abilities as well as open their eyes to a wider world view.

In the apiary, after a brief tuition session on the lifecycle of bees, the workings of the colony and the benefits of bees to the environment, the Adventurers got down to the practical tasks of making candles from wax foundation and trying-on a protective bee-suit.

The most exciting event of the morning was observing frames of bees behind the glass frontage of an observation hive, the bees could be readily seen running about the frames. A few Adventurers were lucky enough to spot the queen, marked with her green dot, despite her attempts at hiding.

Spotting the queen!

The Adventurer Club tutor, Melea, provided feedback:

‘’ Thank you for a wonderful morning of learning which was so carefully planned - the outdoor classroom with smoke to keep bees away, refreshments for the children and activities which thoroughly engaged us all. It was generous for so many of your team to come out on a Sunday morning to support the classes' learning goals.

The children have been raving about their morning out, and parents are grateful that the children had this experience. Three cheers for Cath and her team, and for a great producer and recycler in nature: the honey bee!”