Native Bee Guardians at The Cottage School

There’s something special about arriving at a school and being greeted with genuine excitement before the day has even started. That’s exactly how our Native Bee Guardians workshop began at the Cottage School in Bellerive.

One of the first things we discovered was that many of the students already knew something important: Tasmania is home to a remarkable variety of native bees. It’s always wonderful when students bring their own knowledge to a workshop, and this curiosity sparked great conversations about the unique species that live right here in our local environment.

From there, we explored why native bees matter. Students quickly made the connection between Tasmanian native bees and the environment, recognising that native vegetation provides the food and habitat these bees need to survive. These kinds of connections (between wildlife and the landscapes we share) are at the heart of the Native Bee Guardians program.

Learning about insects also meant getting a bit creative and active. Together we acted out some of the different pollinators we might find in the environment. These tricks help students to identify each pollinator. We showed our tiny goblin fly antennae, then switched to longer bee antennae, and finally stretched as tall as we could to become wasps. Movement helps bring these small creatures to life in a memorable way!

Another highlight was sitting together in the shade of the trees in the school garden, where students made their own specialised Tasmanian native bee hotels. Using carefully chosen materials designed for local bee species, each student created a bee hotel they could take home and place in their own garden. These carefully created structures encourage the native bees and help provide safe nesting spots in the neighbourhood.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came at the end of the visit. As we wrapped up, the students gathered together and warmly thanked us for coming to their school to teach them about Tasmanian native bees and the environment. A clear sign that young people are genuinely interested in learning how to care for the natural world.

Workshops like this are exactly what Landcare Tasmania’s Native Bee Guardians program is about: helping students notice the wildlife around them, understand why it matters, and feel inspired to look after their local patch.

Thank you to the wonderful students and staff at the Cottage School in Bellerive for such a welcoming, curious, and thoughtful day.

A special thank you to Dr Yolanda, our entomologist and passionate presenter, for bringing Tasmanian native bees to life!

 

The Native Bee Guardians is part of Landcare Tasmania’s Citizen Science Education Program and is proudly supported by the JM Roberts Charitable Trust.

We have additional funding for FY26/27. These Native Bee workshops can be adjusted for all primary school grades from Prep through to Grade 6. Landcare Tasmania have delivered the workshops in all corners of Tasmania. If your school is interested in a Native Bee Hotel workshop, please contact our Education Team [email protected]