Youth Build Bee Boxes

Jasper County Primary School (JCPS) first grade students recently completed a collaboration with many community partners to help solitary bees by constructing bee houses.

Solitary are native bees that include bumblebees, carpenter bees, mason bees, leaf cutting bees and more. These solitary bees do most of the pollination and since they do not live in hives, providing habitat gives the bees a safe place to lay eggs and raise young.

Champion Lumber donated wood and the Jasper County Women’s Farm Bureau donated money for other supplies. The boxes were constructed by Jasper County High School (JCHS) students involved in the Career & Technical Agricultural Education (CTAE) taught by Casey Elias. JCHS student Reid McMichael helped drill the nesting tunnels. JCHS completed most of the construction of the boxes by sanding, sawing, and drilling. JCPS students worked with Derrick Jones from the University of Georgia Extension Service and Loretha Gage from the Farm Bureau to finish construction of the solitary bee boxes by attaching the brackets to hang the boxes.

Currently, JCPS students are painting the solitary bee boxes with JCPS Art teacher Mia Jenkins. In the classroom, JCPS students learn about the vital importance of solitary bees and their essential role in pollination of gardens and crops.

This STEAM collaboration is coordinated by Elizabeth Proctor, the Wonder Room teacher. JCPS learned how to read a compass so they can properly install their own bee boxes when they take their own box home. This collaboration provided 1647 nesting tunnels. Pictured are Brandon Sanchez-Cornelio, Ethan Prado-Olguin, Malachi White and Mateo Lumus with Mrs. Gage.