Schoolchildren get buzz-y meeting 100,000 worker bees

A group of primary schoolkids were given the opportunity to look inside a beehive as part of a wildlife education programme in Glasgow.

Earlier this week, children from Anderston Primary attended a beekeeping session at the Skypark building in Glasgow.

They suited up and got buzz-y holding the frames and learning all about how bees build honeycomb and pollinate flowers.

Skypark’s keepers tend to more than 100,000 worker bees, and the visit was part of an initiative by Bee Friendly Schools to help children understand how they help the environment.

The young ones had a great time – and when one of them got stung by a bee, he didn’t let it dampen his spirits.

10-year-old Moosa got his ankle stung. He told STV News: “I didn’t expect them to sting me on my ankle, but it was a good experience.

The students’ teacher, Linda McCann, said: “It’s just thrilling for them. Even the children who are scared when we talk about it in class, everybody has joined in and gone down to meet the bees.

It was part of a wildlife education programme.

“It just gives them a real life context – when we’re planting seeds, we now know the bees that are going to come and feed on our flowers.”

Wade Ball of The Good Bee Company, who runs the education programs and asset manages the Hives in partnership with Skypark said: “As a UK-wide operation we deliver biodiversity improvement projects across the country but as Glasgow is home, it’s nice to showcase what bees can bring to a community right here in the City.

Children from Anderston Primary got a look inside hives at Glasgow's Skypark. — Children from Anderston Primary got a look inside hives at Glasgow’s Skypark.

“Our work is centred on getting children and adults involved in ecosystem restoration.

“Finding nature-based solutions underpin everything we do, bringing people together and maximising productivity is something we are proud to help businesses do, in collaboration with the planet’s hardest workers.”