The Bee Sanctuary: Learning in a Walled Garden by David Hennessey

Introduction

Meteorological spring officially arrived here on 1 March but we all know that we are still a little way off from the active season and regular beekeeping inspections—at least in my corner of Nairnshire we are. I’ll not be doing colony inspections till I see drones flying. The weather is so changeable and more snow is expected, especially around lambing season. But that doesn’t dampen our delight and hope for a great new cycle of beekeeping events, especially when we see our bees hauling in heavy loads of colourful spring pollen when they can.
Speaking about hope for the future, against the current backdrop of wars and turmoil, guest blogger David Hennessey has a story to gladden our hearts and inspire confidence in the future welfare of honey bees and humans. David is an inspiring leader in beekeeping and a great role model. He spends a lot of time in his apiary, just south of Edinburgh, sharing a lifetime of nature and beekeeping with our future health professionals, environmentalists, climatologists, teachers, town planners, politicians, policy makers and everyone else who will keep our countries going forward when we no longer can. One of his ambitions is to bring the average age of beekeepers right down to 20 years. Thank you, David, for generously sharing your experiences and resources with us today. Your pollen video is fascinating,  https://youtu.be/MEBgulnkL4Y?feature=shared

The Bee Sanctuary

The Bee Sanctuary began as a simple idea in 2022, tucked away at the far end of a walled garden. At the opposite end sits an extraordinary nursery run by Midlothian Council. Between these two spaces lies a synergy, something rather special: hives full of honey bees and a child’s nursery full of inquisitive three to five-year-olds. It is, in every sense, a perfect partnership.

The children attend one to three days a week and are organised into small groups—Sparrows, Nuthatches, Robins and more. They are guided daily by a diverse and highly skilled team of practitioners whose professionalism and enthusiasm underpin the entire ELC (Early Learning Centre) project. Without them, the Bee Sanctuary would simply be a set of hives at the end of a garden. With them, it has become a living classroom.

Not Telling but Showing

Our approach is straightforward: we do not teach in the formal sense—we show. From careful observation flows the richest kind of learning. Up to six children, two at a time booted and suited, stepping toward the hives experience anticipation that is almost tangible. That moment alone is education: preparation, respect, shared purpose.

Some days the bees come to the children. An observation hive reveals the ordered bustle of colony life. A super frame, heavy with capped and uncapped honey, is passed around with teaspoons. Teaspoons, it must be said, are far too slow. Soon there are sticky fingers, gleaming faces, and an unforgettable sensory lesson in what bees actually produce. Wax fragments in the mouth? Not a problem. This is experiential learning at its most immediate.

When we approach the outdoor hives—each fitted with clear crown boards—the beekeeper first assesses conditions. If appropriate, we open the colony to reveal its inhabitants: the “boys” (drones), the “girls” (workers), and occasionally the queen herself. In that moment, biology is no longer abstract. Caste differentiation, life cycles, and social organisation are visible and real.

Children, by and large, are fearless. Interestingly, the only hesitation tends to arise when an adult nearby displays anxiety. Young children are acutely attuned to social cues—arguably an evolutionary safeguard. In a calm, well-managed environment, their curiosity far outweighs their concern. https://youtu.be/v3O3Tx0tVAg?feature=shared

Nature Does The Teaching

While honey bees are at the centre of the Sanctuary, they are also a gateway. A bumblebee is no longer “just a bee” but a queen in early spring searching for a nesting site. Wasps prompt questions: What do they eat? Why are they here? Solitary bee boxes become lessons in biodiversity and habitat. The Sanctuary broadens perception—from a single insect to an interconnected ecosystem.

This is the enduring value of the project. The children are not memorising facts; they are forming frameworks. They begin to notice colour variations, seasonal behaviours, and species differences. They learn that insects have roles, that fear can be replaced with understanding, and that nature rewards close observation.

Our regular open days perhaps demonstrate this best. Within the safety of the Bee Zone, children proudly guide parents and grandparents through what they have discovered. The learning has transferred; it has taken root. https://youtu.be/Vfn6J2E2gG0?feature=shared

The Bee Sanctuary is not simply about bees. It is about cultivating curiosity, ecological literacy, and respect for the natural world at the earliest possible age. In a walled garden in Midlothian, very small children are gaining a very large perspective—and occasionally, a sticky face to go with it.

Not only children learn here, we do also.  Our most recent initiative is how can we encourage individual bee keepers and local groups to increase the amount of good quality drones in the DCA’s. Increasing the amount locally adapted genetics, hopefully you’ll hear more about this in the future.