Written by Jia Sharma and Zion Stanton
Hobsonville Point Secondary School welcomes some new fuzzy, buzzy friends. Last week, our first ever beehive arrived at Hobsonville Point Secondary School (HPSS). We have partnered with a company called Beezthingz, who have provided us with our very own beehive. Beezthingz's goal is to introduce young people to the inner workings of beehives by getting smart, managed beehives into schools. A beekeeper from Beezthingz will come into the school to perform maintenance on the beehive once a month. Students will be able to experience the harvesting of honey from a hive, in a safe and managed way. We are planning to produce our own ‘Hobsonville Honey’ to possibly sell and distribute at a school farmers market, along with other produce we are currently growing.
The bees will be of great benefit to the school garden and the community. Bees are natural pollinators, and they will ensure our school gardens are growing healthily. They are invaluable to our environment and are currently under threat due to loss of habitat. Students will learn how to protect and look after the bees, and hope to spread awareness amongst the wider community about the importance of bees in the environment.
HPSS is looking to make a long-term partnership with Beezthingz and the bees themselves. We look forward to sharing our knowledge and delicious honey with the community once it is harvested.
About the authors:
Jia Sharma and Zion Stanton, years 11 and 12, are students at Hobsonville Point Secondary School with a passion for writing. They are actively involved in many school events within HPSS, and are very eager to share what’s happening with the wider community.