The Importance of Bees: Teaching Kids about Pollinators

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Originally published in TEACH Magazine, May/June 2024 Issue

By Fiona Tapp

The humble bee is a symbol of busy productivity. It is also one of the most important pollinators.

What makes bees so special? They transfer pollen from male to female flower parts in order to fertilize plants, a process that is essential for the reproduction of many flowering plants, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Bees and other pollinators are responsible for 35 percent of global crop production. Without them the resulting imbalance in our agricultural system would severely threaten food supplies.

Bees also contribute to soil fertility, plant diversity, and nutrient cycling, playing a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. There are over 800 species of native bees in Canada and one in four species are at risk of extinction. If they disappear our planet would suffer, exacerbating environmental degradation and making ecosystems more vulnerable to other stressors, such as climate change and habitat loss.

In a broader sense, bees act as barometers of the planet’s overall health. Their sensitivity to changes in habitat, climate, and pesticide exposure makes them valuable indicators of broader environmental trends. Monitoring bee populations can provide insights into the impacts of human activities on ecosystems and help inform conservation and management efforts.

The BEE Hope Project

It’s about time bees got the proper respect they deserve, and at one elementary school in Ottawa, they will soon have an entire pollinator meadow dedicated to them.

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Fiona Tapp is a former teacher and school administrator of 13 years. She writes about education, parenting, and travel for a variety of publications including National Geographic, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The Sunday Times, and many more.

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Fiona Tapp
Fiona Tapp
Fiona Tapp is a former teacher and school administrator of 13 years. She writes about education, parenting, and travel for a variety of publications including National Geographic, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The Sunday Times, and many more.

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