GRANTS IN ACTION: Elephant Thoughts
On a sunny day in August, Community Foundation Grey Bruce’s "On The Road Again" tour continued at the Elephant Thoughts Riverstone Campus, located just outside of Durham. Here, Beekeeper and Lead Agricultural Instructor Janine McGowan demonstrated the power of interactive learning through the Enhancing the Well ‘Beeing’ of Youth program.
This project provided bee husbandry, health, and environmental education workshops to various groups of youth during the summer of 2023. The workshops focused on nutrition, wellness and culinary skill building, which aligns with several key areas of need in Grey Bruce, as outlined in our most recent Vital Signs Report.
The Community Foundation Grey Bruce Team was invited to sit in on one of the workshops and participate in the educational activities. “Youth from diverse cultures and backgrounds unite, getting up close and personal with honeybees in a safe, natural environment under the guidance of an experienced apiarist” says Marni Sandell, Director of Education at the Elephant Thoughts Riverstone Campus.
After viewing the hive and bees in action, learning about their roles and life cycle, and touring the ‘bee gardens’, participants are filled with wonderment. This stimulates personal reflection on our relationship with land and initiates discussions on how differently we used to live, biodiversity, and habitat preservation.”
In addition to learning about bees, youth participated in immersive experiences like making beeswax candles, tasting different honey samples, and discussing various bee products that “inspire creative conversations”. Enhancing the Well ‘Beeing’ of Youth also provided participants with transferrable skills such as work ethic, project management, nutrition, and health while maintaining an inclusive and supportive environment.
This project was generously supported by the Eva Leflar Endowment Fund. If you would like to support an inspiring project like this one, visit our donor information page to learn more about how you can make a difference in your community.