By: Kate Y.
Royal West Academy is proud to offer an excellent opportunity to learn more about bees, honey production, and the process in which bee-related products are prepared: the Beekeeping Club.
On October 25th, the club had its first meeting in room 204: the annual honey extraction workshop! This activity was organized by Mr. Girardin and Alvéole, an organization that aims to improve access to beekeeping as well as to educate people on the importance of bees for the environment.
The activity was led by Colin, the official Beekeeper working at Alvéole. He demonstrated the process of honey production and even included honey for the participants to take home! Students were given the opportunity to extract the honey from the frames of honeycomb by uncapping the layers of beeswax. Moreover, we learned about how honey is produced, from bees collecting nectar to honey extraction. Many students, such as Nella F. in grade 11, expressed their satisfaction and were very glad they participated. Nella said, “I had a lot of fun and learned a lot. I also liked eating the honey and the honeycomb. It was wonderful”.
Additionally, Colin very kindly agreed to answer some questions I had for him:
Q: Which other schools does Alvéole work with in Québec?
A: We work with many schools, such as John Grant High School, Brébeuf, Allion Elementary, and Twin Oaks Elementary.
Q: What is your goal with working with these schools?
A: To connect people with bees as well as to connect them to each other.
Q: Finally, what is your favorite part of the job?
A: It depends on the time of the year. The jobs vary depending on the months, so there is a lot of diversity in what we do. I like working directly with the bees, which happens during the summer, as well as doing workshops, which take place during the winter.
The Beekeeping Club is a fun, educational, and, some might even say, bee-loved opportunity to learn as well as to earn an ECA credit! A candle-making workshop is rumored to be on the horizon, so pay attention to any announcements in the Daily Bulletin! We hope to see you at the next session of the Beekeeping Club!
