THE students and principal of Parkmore Primary School tell us about an exciting environmental project the students are working on: BEAP – Bee Education and Protection Project.
They are hoping to represent Australia at the 2025 Future Problem Solving Championships, showcasing their project. Team BEAP have found concerning information that indicates bees are endangered. If the bee population continues to decline, this could have a dramatic impact on human food production, as well as the global environment.
So far they have successfully implemented a number of initiatives as part of the project. These include partnering with Beechworth Honey, who have put QR codes on their honey jars which take people to the education centre. In another partnership, Monash University is gathering native bee data in the Native Bee Safe garden designed and built at the school. The garden has seen the introduction of the Blue Banded bee, Native honey bee, Reed bee and red Legged Cuckoo Bee to its precinct on a daily basis. A Native Bee Hotel competition was recently run, with the finished product on display in the garden.
A native bee memory card game also resulted from their endeavours, and a picture story book published, about how to protect the native bee in the garden at home. The students have also researched and published brochures on how to protect the native bee, including the use of chemical-free pesticides and weedkillers.
Gaining community support from Bunnings, Nunawading Community gardens, Richard Welsh, Whitehorse Council, students, staff, parents and friends of Parkmore Primary, the results of the students’ research were presented to the State Environmental Minister and local MP John Mullahy, who is supporting their work.
Here’s hoping the bees will reap the benefits of such dedicated efforts.
