The Bee House at the Maui County Cooperative Extension office has come to life. The building, located in the CTAHR Research and Education Demonstration Center, is gearing up for K–12 classes on bees and pollination. The site will house an indoor observational hive and provide opportunities for youth to watch the bees at work.
This fall, Maui high school students will be invited to participate in a Queen Bee Mentoring program, led by Cynthia Nazario-Leary (Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences) in partnership with 4-H agent Nancy Ooki. The aim of the project is to provide education and information to Maui youth and the community about beekeeping and the importance of bees to Maui’s agriculture. The project will develop and implement a five-part workshop series for Maui youth, ages 13–17, to educate them in beekeeping management and entrepreneurial opportunities associated with beekeeping.
In addition to the programs offered in the Bee House, content will be available through a website now in development that will offer images and lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom.