BEEKEEPING

We have been working in partnership with the hospital Sustainability Team and urban beekeeping company Alveole Buzz to install and establish a working bee hive on the roof of the Morgan Stanley Clinical Building at GOSH.

The hive arrived in the spring of 2022 and thrived throughout the summer. Pupils designed and hand-painted a cover for the hive and a ‘Beecam’ was installed so that pupils could watch activity around the hive at any time.

Come autumn time, the honey was ready to be harvested. Friendly beekeeper Gus brought honeycomb into school so that pupils could experience the process from beginning to end. First, they removed the wax from the comb, then they span it which requires a good amount of muscle power! Once spun, they jarred and labelled their honey and, of course, took some away for their nurses and families.

The bees are staying warm in the hive for winter now and we’ll look forward to seeing them get to work again once the flowers return in the spring.