Lord Harris Court residents learn to “bee” more conscious to celebrate World Environment Day

To celebrate World Environment Day (5 June), residents at Lord Harris Court, in Berkshire, have learned about bees and why these insects are vital to help preserve nature’s balance. The care home’s staff members, highly committed to protecting the environment, arranged a talk and a fun quiz for the residents.

Lord Harris Court’s gardener, Steve Chandler, gave the residents books so they could learn more about how bees pollinate flowers, and Tracey Esteve, one of the Home’s Activities Coordinator, brought in beebombs and explained how they work. Beebombs are small packages containing hundreds of native wildflower seeds, which are sown and left to germinate and grow.

Taking part in the activity, resident Gladys Matthews said:

I’ve always found bees very interesting, especially the queen bee. My daughter used to keep bees on a land owned by a farmer. I remember when I used to visit her at the beehive, she would be dressed up in a bee suit.

Then she gave a piece of advice:

Although you have to be extremely careful, move slowly and not to annoy them!

The activity also gave Lord Harris Court’s residents the opportunity to learn about how environmental organisations are working to save the bees. According to United Nations, bee populations have been decreasing due to climate change and intensive agriculture. These insects pollinate nearly three quarters of the plants that produce 90% of the world’s food.

Activities Coordinator Tracey Esteve said:

Learning is really important for our residents’ mental health and wellbeing, and these activities help to stimulate their curiosity. Also, both residents and staff at Lord Harris Court are really passionate about nature. We are always keen to look after our local wildlife together.

Lord Harris Court gardener Steve Chandler, Activities Coordinator Tracey Esteve and resident Gladys Matthews with one of the Home’s bee hives.