Calgary school buzzing with 2 new hives of on-campus honeybees

A southeast Calgary school is abuzz with its latest educational project.

The Phoenix Foundation School a blended learning centre that works with homeschooling families is now home to a hive of honeybees from New Zealand.

The school says it's the first kindergarten through Grade 12 school in Calgary that has bees on site.

"It's important for kids to understand their environment, especially living in the city, we we want to make sure they understand the importance of bees and their importance in our whole ecosystem," said Larry Leach, fund development and business manager for the Phoenix Education Foundation.

The project has been in the works for the past year and a half and was made possible through a $1,500 US grant through the Whole Kids Foundation Bee Cause.

The school then enlisted the help of the Calgary Beekeepers Association to build two hives and prepare the school for their new arrivals.

The New Zealand bees, which arrived just last week, were chosen because they are known for being very productive and not overly aggressive.

Alexander Ranger, the school'spiano instructor and "beekeeper in training," says the students haven't yet had much interaction with the bees, as they are giving the hive time to settle into their new home.

"It's a pretty big change from New Zealand, climate-wise, and they need some time to kind of adapt to Calgary," he said.

On top of teaching students the importance of bees in the ecosystem, the school also plans to use the hives for future lessons on marketing turning the honey and wax into sellable products.

"It just gives a really memorable and unique opportunity for students to get invested in their education and the world around them," Ranger said.

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