Youth came together to Bee the Difference.
The sounds of hammering and scavenging for twigs filled the air at the Cold Lake Community Garden on Thursday, July 4, while participants set out to make bee homes.
The Cold Lake and District FCSS hosted their Bee the Difference workshop for ages nine to 13-years-old, to teach them about the importance of bees and to appreciate the science incorporated into their everyday lives.
”I think the main thing is to be aware of things around you,” explained Ada Andrzejewska, child and youth program facilitator with Cold Lake FCSS. “Whether it’s your environment, socially what’s happening, and how things affect you, just being aware of stuff outside of you and your own little bubble.”
She added, “(The houses are) important just so solitary bees have somewhere to go, and if we have more in the community then we have more bees.”
Along with making homes for bees, youth learned about pollination and different volunteering opportunities in the community.
Maya Asnong, 11, was excited to build the dwelling alongside her friends.
”Bees are important because without them, you can’t really pollinate as well. Wasps do it, but not as well as bees,” she said, adding she already had a place in mind for her finished project: in her dad’s garden.
Before everyone started hammering away, fun facts were shared about the insects that make honey.
”There’s a lot of stuff they didn’t realize... They were able to take home that information,” expressed Amy Dechaine, program assistant for the Cold Lake FCSS.
Asnong was most surprised to learn that honey doesn’t go bad. Before, she originally thought “the sugar would rot in it.”
Bee the Difference is part of the FCSS Silly Science program. Dechaine said they try to bring participants from all over to learn about various subjects.
She also saw this particular program as a great opportunity to introduce the youth to the local community garden.
”Not many people know it’s here and what it’s for.”
Andrzejewska added, “Once they kind of see what the community garden is, hopefully they come out and volunteer there. It won’t be as scary coming out for the first time.”
After adding twigs and barriers to keep the birds away from the bees’ new home, kids also selected bee-friendly flowers to plant.
”I hope that they come out to the community garden in their own time, and are inspired to do things like this during the summer,” Andrzejewska expressed. “I know they have lots of time, and it’s not hard to get some of this stuff together to be creative and make things of your own.”
