ST subscribers and their kids become beekeepers for the day at bee workshop

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Kenme Lam

SINGAPORE - Subscribers of The Straits Times and their children got up close and personal with bees during a workshop at education centre Bee Amazed Garden, located in Singapore University of Social Sciences, on the morning of June 15.

The All About Bees workshop was part of ST Plus Rewards' offerings, specially catered to parents and young children for the June school holidays.

As all 39 slots were snapped up, a second workshop was added on June 16 due to popular demand.

During the first part of the three-hour workshop, participants learnt about the different species of bees in Singapore, their anatomy and how to act around them, before heading to Bee Amazed's rooftop garden to view the bees in their hives.

Housewife Angeline Ng, 43, and her daughter Kristen Png, 10, were the first to don their beekeeping suits and inspect 500 Apis cerana bees on a honeycomb.

"It was our first time interacting with bees up close, and it helped me overcome my fear of them," said Ms Ng.

Her husband signed them up for the workshop after coming across an advertisement for it in ST, as Kristen has an interest in science and bees.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe the bees so closely," added the Primary 4 pupil from Fuhua Primary School.

Participants' interactions with the bees were closely supervised by Bee Amazed Garden founder John Chong, 65, who ran the workshop.