Student Beekeepers Help the Environment and Raise Money for Charity

9/13/2017

Two students at the High School Campus became beekeepers in the spring and reaped the sticky, sweet harvest this summer.

Grade 12 students Cooper Qualls and Jackson Jeansonne, under the advisement of Science Department Chair, Mike Ireland, used hours towards their Service Learning requirement with beekeeping, and harvesting and bottling honey for the Spirit Store.

Honey, however, is only one benefit of beekeeping. "Most people don’t understand how important bees are for the environment," Qualls explained.

The Ensworth bees mostly pollinated the Queen Anne's lace and butterfly weed in the fields surrounding the High School Campus. But bees and other pollinators have a global impact. According to the United Nations, 75% of the world's food crops depend upon bees for pollination.

The project was a definite break from the norm. “It was fun for a service project. It was unique from what everyone else was doing,” Jeansonne explained.

Service Learning is a core component of the Ensworth program and is incorporated into the curriculum at every grade level.

The Spirit Stores at both campuses are now selling the Ensworth Honey for $10 per half pound bottle, with proceeds going to Hands On Nashville.