July 16, 2019

It is well-known that bumblebees are great pollinators, and therefore have a key role in producing much of the food that we eat. Through the pollination of many commercial crops such as: tomatoes, peas, apples and strawberries, blueberries, etc…

Bumblebees also help pollinate many wildflowers, allowing them to reproduce, and as these plants are often the basis of complex food chains, it is easy to imagine how other wildlife such as other insects, birds and mammals would all suffer if bees disappeared. Sadly our bumblebees have been declining because of changes in agricultural practices that have largely removed flowers from the landscape, leaving the bumblebees with little to feed upon.

What can be done with the decline of the Bumblebees? Oseng-Rees Reflection has developed a workshop aimed at primary school children to raise awareness of the plight of the bumblebees.

Using a Observing-Planning-Making-Evaluating-process the pupils first learnt about identifying bumblebees, then drawing and painting them through the medium of art before they finally used their observations skills to make a replica bumblebee of their choosing. The final bee was made using recycled glass and reflect the bees fragility in real life as in the same time shows the variability of all the native bees in UK.

Benefits of the workshop. Pupils will

• learn about pollinators and bumblebees, and its importance in protecting them

• learn observation skills and eye to hand coordination in sketching and painting

• learn the design process from idea, planning to final product/art

• learn about environmental matters and recycling

• Being introduced to circular economy how glass can be used over and over again and the importance for recycling

• learn mathematical skills through measurement and weight of glass in the making process

All bumblebees are made by Year 2 schoolchildren

Recycled glass bumblebees representing the colour of its kind

In total 30 pupils learnt about identifying bumblebees and chose their favourite to make.

Poster by Bumblebee Conservation Trust