World Bee Day is an opportunity to put bees and beekeeping at the centre of conversations around safeguarding habitat for bees and the vital role bees play in pollination and the entire food chain. It’s also a great opportunity to share your love of bees with others!
Links
World Bee Day (Australian site)
Wheen Bee Foundation
Celebrated annually on May 20, World Bee day is a global celebration and initiative focused on raising awareness about the importance of bees and encourages schools, individuals, organizations, and governments to take action to protect and support bees and other pollinators.
We all know about the good ole honey bee as they produce the table honey we all enjoy each day on our crumpets, toast and sandwiches, but did you know that Australia also has approximately 2000 species of native bees? World Bee Day is about celebrating all the bees – and my book ‘The Beehive’ is most definitely a celebration of our native bees and I have stacks of teaching ideas to go with the book.
Hive day is finally here! Willow’s been counting down the days until groundskeeper Tom divides the school’s native stingless beehive into two, allowing her to take home her very own hive. Every detail must be perfect to ensure the bees flourish in their new home. The story unfolds beautifully alongside a treasure trove of captivating facts about Australia’s native bees, making ‘The Beehive’ a delightful and informative read.
Do you have native bees in your home garden or at school? In a busy day, taking time out to watch the bees fly in and out on their daily search for pollen and nectar affords a moment of peace, and time to appreciate the mystery and wonder of nature.
Native stingless bee hives are a brilliant addition to the kindergarten or school environment and while the curriculum based learning that can take place is rich, for me the greatest joy is seeing parents and students become curious about the hives, watching students who need some quiet in their day sit and observe the bees, and seeing kids drag visitors to ‘come and see our bees’. You can make a simple bee/pollinator habitat at school or home and native bees such as the resin bee, leaf-cuter bee, masked bee and reed bee will happily nest there.
Best Bee Books
(for World Bee Day and Everyday!)
Picture Books
- ‘The Beehive’ by Megan Daley and Max Hamilton (Australian native bees – narrative non-fiction)
- ‘The Honeybee’ by Kirsten Hall and Isabelle Arsenault (gorgeous images)
- ‘Bee Detectives’ by Vanessa Ryan-Rendall and Brenna Quinlan (Australian native bees)
- ‘That’s not my bee…’ by Fiona Watt & Rachel Wells (board book with touch elements)
- ‘Down the Road Little Bee’ by Sarah Jane Lightfoot
- ‘Swarm of Bees’ by Lemony Snicket & Rilla Alexander
- ‘The Book of Bees’ by by Piotr Socha
- ‘Beehive’ by Jorey Hurley
- ‘Flight of the Honey Bee’ by Raymond Huber & Brian Lovelock (out of print but hunt down at your local library)
- ‘Nifty Native Bees’ by Rebecca Johnson (out of print but hunt down at your local library)
- ‘The Bee Book’ by Charlotte Milner (out of print but hunt down at your local library)
- ‘Being a Bee’ by Jinny Johnson & Lucy Davey (out of print but hunt down at your local library)
Junior Fiction
- ‘Coco and the Bee’ by Laura Bunting (Author), Nicky Johnston
- ‘Kenneth and Queenie #1: Super Sweet!’ by Raymond McGrath
- ‘The Honey Bees’ by by
- by
- by
Middle Grade and YA
- ‘Drift’ by Pip Harry
- ‘How to Bee’ by Bren MacDibble
- ‘The Bee Maker’ by Mobi Warren
- ‘Hive’ by A.J. Betts
Non Fiction
- ‘The Bee Squad: Boosting biodiversity in your neighbourhood’ by Judy Friedlander
‘The Australian Native Bee Book’ by Tim Heard (visit Sugarbag Bees to purchase) - ‘The Contented Bee’ by Organic Gardener Magazine (this one features my bees at school at St Aidan’s!)
- ‘The Beekeeper’s Bible’ by Richard A Jones & Sharon Sweeney-Lynch (so giftable!)
- ‘The Bee Friendly Garden’ by Doug Purdie
- ‘A Guide to Native Bees of Australia’ by Dr Terry Houston
- ‘Learn About Bees – First Facts for Kids’ by
- ‘Lifecycles: From Egg to Bee’ by Camilla de la Bedoyere (out of print but hunt down at your local library)
Others Bee-ish products I Love
- Wooden Bee House,natural candlenut Wood
- Montessori Life Cycle Learning: bee life cycle
- Teal Bee House
- Nesting Tubes (to make your own nesting habitat)
- Swedish bee dish cloth
- Wooden bee life cycle puzzle (Bandicute brand from Biome)
- Wooden bee counting game (Bandicute brand from Biome)
- Bee and Wattle gift card
- Blue Banded Bee earrings
Get Involved in World Bee Day!
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- Learn more: Educate yourself about the importance of bees and the threats they face. Check out the books below as a starting point – you know I’m always going to recommend books!
- Support local beekeepers: Purchase honey and other hive products from local beekeepers. If you’re local to us (check out the @farmgatehoneyaustralia socials) you can even purchase our honey.
- Plant bee-friendly plants: Grow flowers and other plants that provide nectar and pollen for bees.
- Get yourself a native bee hive: Native stingless bee hives are a brilliant addition to the kindergarten or school environment or your home garden.
- Reduce pesticide use: Minimize your reliance on pesticides in your home garden and advocate for the same at school.
- Advocate for change: Support policies and initiatives that protect bees and their habitats.
Megan Daley and Murray Akadieff AKA The Beekeeper (Farmgate Honey)
Read more about our bee and book story here.
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