Church abuzz over bees

Bees are responsible for at least one-third of the food we eat, and commercial agriculture depends on them. A world without honeybees would look very different – we would not have food like apples, watermelon, almonds, berries, onions, coffee and, of course, honey. Bees also pollinate oilseeds like cotton.

Since the late 1990s, beekeepers around the world have observed the mysterious and sudden disappearance of bees and reported unusually high rates of decline in honeybee colonies. Perhaps you’ve seen the commercial on TV or online for Honey Nut Cheerios’ “Bring Back the Bees” campaign. Honey Nut Cheerios and Veseys Seeds have partnered to give away wildflower seeds to Canadians. To date, they have given away over 400 million seeds.

Larry Moore, a parishioner at Church of the Evangelists, New Tecumseth in Tottenham, contacted the church’s Sunday School team with a suggestion: why don’t the Sunday School children take on this initiative as a spring project? The Sunday School contacted the “Bring Back the Bees” campaign for free wildflower seeds and promotional material. But they also saw a greater need to share this awareness and decided to take it one step further.

On Sunday, May 28, the Sunday School team hosted a “Bring Back the Bees” service. The children gave a special presentation during the service, followed by the planting of wildflower seeds in the church’s backyard. Afterwards, the children participated in crafts and activities related to bees. They also served refreshments after the service made with local honey, and everyone went home with a special gift of wildflowers to plant at home.

For more information about the campaign, visit www.bringbackthebees.ca.

Submitted by Monique Chirrey, a Sunday School teacher at Church of the Evangelists, New Tecumseth.