Council and Kirwan State High School’s bee-autiful partnership
Date published: 26 July 2023
Residents were this week able to pick up free ‘Bee Hotels’ thanks to a wonderful partnership between Kirwan State High School and Townsville City Council.
Members of the community were welcomed to collect their student-created bee-friendly habitats from 10am on Tuesday at Kirwan High, with Division 5 Councillor Russ Cook on hand to help students with the giveaway.
Cr Cook was delighted to have Kirwan High as an official partner of Council’s Three for Bees initiative, with students working diligently on their bee hotels over the last few months.
“The Bee Hotel creation was initially introduced as part of the year ten woodwork class curriculum in 2022,” Cr Cook said.
“Bee hotels are man-made structures that provide nesting habitats for solitary and semi-social native bees. They mimic natural nesting sites with holes or tunnels and include drilled wooden blocks, hollow stems, or bamboo tubes as individual nesting chambers.
“Placing bee hotels in gardens, parks, or suitable locations supports bee populations by offering safe nesting opportunities, benefiting species like Leafcutter Bees, Reed Bees, Great Carpenter Bees, and Metallic Carpenter Bees.”
Council covered the costs of supplies required to create the bee hotels, including wood, nails, and glue, and also provided additional community development practice support.
The demand exceeded supply in 2022, highlighting the enthusiasm of the students and the community for this initiative.
Kirwan High has now incorporated it as a regular assessable learning component within the school.
Council’s Three for Bees initiative promotes a socio-ecological approach to learning, emphasising the interconnectedness between humans and the environment, no matter how small.
The students who participated in the giveaway event were able to witness the fruits of their hard work as they generously gifted their creations to community members.
“Our partnership with Kirwan High has certainly yielded positive community development outcomes,” Cr Cook said.
“As a Council we are very proud of these Kirwan students, who are showing that the young people of Townsville are embracing the opportunities to make a difference.
“Creating these bee hotels provides human-social and cultural benefits for the students through an engaging and educational experience that cultivates environmental awareness, creativity and community engagement.”
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