A well-known Bath school’s bee keeping club has won a special Wessex Watermark Award, the first announced for 2014.
Senior students at Monkton Combe School will use their Award to buy a glass sided demonstration bee hive to teach the link between pollination and a healthy environment.
Libby Symon from The Conservation Foundation will visit the school with their Watermark Award and cheque for £350 on Thursday 9th January.
Sustainability at Monkton (SAM) is run by a student Committee and aims to make their school a more environmentally friendly place.
The students have run awareness raising campaigns on topical issues that affect not just the school but life outside the school gates. SAM’s bee keeping club will invite fellow students and parents to debate sustainable issues which could affect both the health of bee colonies and the environment they depend on.
“This is a pupil led project and the first I heard of their winning a Watermark Award was when the school was contacted by Libby at The Conservation Foundation” said Robert Campbell senior teacher.
“This summer we planted out a garden to encourage bees and insects” said Sarina Saddiq, who with Rachel Denno applied for this Award.
“We know that bee colonies are continuing to decline and healthy bees reflect a healthy environment, so as well as having a positive effect on the environment, the bees will also be an educational resource.”
Rachel added: “There is nothing as effective as bees to pollinate our trees and plants. Without them the food agricultural industry would collapse. Our bee hives wont save the world but they will be an important learning device to show how big issues like feeding the population depends on a healthy and sustainable environment.”
Meanwhile both Sarina and Rachel are taking bee-keeping lessons from Anne Rowberry from the Bath Beekeepers Association.
The Watermark Award provides funds for environmental projects within the Wessex Water area. Now in its twentieth year, it has supported over 900 environmental initiatives. Organised by The Conservation Foundation, all projects are judged by a panel chaired by its President – David Bellamy.
