Nichole Neubauer (left) of Neubauer Farms accepts a hive donation from Sheldon Hill of Sweet Pure Honey for her ÒBee AwareÓ schools program. Hill and partner Stella Sehn want to help kids to be less afraid of bees, and to raise awareness of all bees do to make the living world a better place.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
tkalinowski@medicinehatnews.com @MHNTimKal
Sweet Pure Honey has donated a new type of flow hive to the Neubauer Farms “Bee Aware” program so local students can learn about the importance of bees.
“I was already going into schools and doing bee awareness,” says Stella Sehn, who co-owns Sweet Pure Honey with her husband Sheldon Hill. “I want to make sure people understand this is a better way forward for bees. I believe children are the hope for that future.”
Sehn donated one of her farm’s high-tech flow hives to the program, which are considered more non-invasive than regular hives because they don’t rely on pull-out screens to harvest the honey. The hive comes with an observation window so children can see the whole life cycle of the bees, and how honey is produced.
“We are trying to teach children not to be afraid of bees,” says Sehn. “Imagine if they grew up with this thought of bees being good? Without all the doom and gloom of the bees are dying, but turning it on a positive of you can help change the world to make it better for bees. Because you are changing it every time you grow a flower.”
Nichole Neubauer, who runs the Bee Aware program through her Growing Minds initiative, is grateful for Sweet Pure Honey’s donation.
“We are excited to have Stella and Sheldon at Sweet Pure Honey make this wonderful donation,” she says. “Even on our farm we have noticed when kids see a bee pop up in front of them suddenly they get scared and start waving their arms around. We are trying to teach them not to be so frightened and help them appreciate all the bees do.”
“Honey makes people happy,” agrees Sehn. “It is undeniable when we think of bees and honey this is this overall feeling of peace, happiness and hope associated with them … This is something I can put my heart into in this community and give back, and on a business level stay relevant and out there.”