Beekeeper Visits Second Grade With Hive

Maura Scanlon, a beekeeper with the Pinellas County BeeKeeper Association, visited second grade last week. Ms. Scanlon is also an associate professor of Biology and Environmental Science Technology at St. Petersburg College.

Second graders have been learning all about the life cycles of plants. They learned about how bees help plants continue their cycles by helping with pollination. Before the special presentation, students learned about the parts of bees, how they function, and also how important they are to our survival.

Bees help create many of our daily needs likes clothes and food. Bee populations are having some trouble right now and are dying off due to different factors like dangerous insecticides and climate changes such as late/early/long frosts.

Ms. Scanlon brought along an observation hive that is about half the size of the hive she normally works with. Students were able to see bees working and even the queen in the comb. She answered questions about bees and beekeeping. Some of her presentation may be watched on our Facebook page.

Later that day, students headed to art class where they drew skteches of insects (not just bees) and receated them with mixed media and wood craft supplies.

More photos from the visit are here: