Berkhamsted is certified Bumblebee Friendly

Pre-Prep are buzzing to announce that they have recently been awarded not one, but two bumble-bee friendly accolades from the Bumblebee Conservation trust, becoming the first School to do so! 

We have received a silver award as a Bumblebee friendly school, and an award for our Early Years bumblebee friendly work.  

A representative from the Bumblebee conservation trust shared, 

“Having visited Berkhamsted myself for two years running, and with my colleagues visiting for even longer, we are continually impressed by your dedication to pollinators and the enthusiasm with which your pupils engage with nature, bumblebees and learning. There is a reason your outdoor spaces are full of bumblebees – you have created an inviting and safe environment for them, while inspiring your pupils to understand and protect these precious creatures, as well as the important role they play in our food systems.” 

We’re so proud to receive this award, recognising the work we do to protect every animal in our ecosystem.  

This news followed a series of Bee Safaris that took place across Pre-Prep, encouraging children to engage with bees and all that they do for us.  

With the help of a representative from the Bumblebee conservation trust, pupils learned all about the different bumblebees and what they contributed to society. With the help of our Queen bee, they laid out different flowers, with pom pom pollens, and moved our Velcro-bellied queen from flower to flower to mirror how pollination works. 

Next, they learned about all of the different foods that bumblebees pollinate. Pupils were shocked to see just how many of their favourite foods had been helped made by the bumblebee! They also had a chance to smell some fresh herbs that bumblebees also help pollinate. 

For those who didn’t do their workshop amongst some serious torrential rain, there was then a chance to go searching for bumblebees in nature. With a reference guide of all the different bumblebees in the UK, pupils took to searching for these bees. 

As a final reminder of how important bees are, and how yummy the foods they help to produce are, the last stop on the safari was the lunch hall. Here, pupils sampled homemade mango frozen yoghurt, made fresh by our catering staff, drizzled with honey from bees. This was very popular and a great end to the experience. There’s nothing like frozen yoghurt to help you realise just how important the bees are!