BEEKEEPING:  Harvesting Honey on Campus

Thanks to our busier bees, this fall’s honey harvest yielded more than 15 gallons (roughly 60 litres) of the sticky sweet stuff.  

Not a bad haul for our newly expanded bee farm.  With the help of a program parent who is a bee-keeper in Collingwood, campus now has three thriving colonies, each with a busy queen. 

Throughout this season, Dan Ardis, Pine River’s Senior Director of Operations and Campus Life, and a group of students have received mentorship in safely managing our campus bee yard. Tethered to the school curriculum, students have been taking a deeper dive into Apiculture – the science and art of raising honeybees.   

“They’re amazing creatures,” said Dan Ardis. “The way they communicate, the way they operate, the way the populate – it’s just unbelievable!” 

The honey is being used by our campus kitchen and has also been prepared for sale and as gifts.