This year marked the 10th anniversary of the event held at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie Campus in northern Victoria, where secondary students had the opportunity to learn about careers in Agriculture, Horticulture, AgTech and Agribusiness.

The Centre for Bee Education team and Wheen Bee Foundation Bee Ambassador Tony Wilsmore, shared insights into the vital role of beekeeping and its importance to Australian agriculture.

Wheen Bee Foundation CEO Fiona Chambers says it is critical that the next generation understands the importance of bees.

“Young people can have a big impact on the issues facing bees,” Ms Chambers says. “It’s important that students are aware of the diverse career pathways involving bees that can make a real difference in securing their future.”

Australia is home to almost 50,000 commercial and recreational beekeepers who manage more than 850,000 hives.

Commercial beekeeping numbers are decreasing in Australia and across the globe due to low honey prices, increasing production costs, an under-appreciation of the value of pollination services and the impact of serious bee diseases such as Varroa mite.

“Beekeepers don’t just produce honey,” Ms Chambers says. “Beekeeping plays a vital role in agriculture as their managed bees provide essential pollination services to Australian farmers.”

In Australia, bees are responsible for pollinating a wide range of fruits, nuts and vegetables, playing a role in the quantity and quality of the food grown in Australia.

Honey bees are responsible for 80–90 per cent of all animal pollination that underpins many of the country’s most important crops.

“It was encouraging to see many students engaged and inspired to explore a future working with bees,” Ms Chambers says.

One of the Foundation’s key programs includes the Centre for Bee Education an online education hub dedicated to inspiring students to understand the vital role bees and other insects play in the environment and food production.

The Centre for Bee Education is a collaboration between Wheen Bee Foundation and Bee School by Beechworth Honey that provides Learning Kits, student activity worksheets, field guides and more that are linked to the Australian Curriculum to support classroom and at-home learning for teachers, educators, parents and students.

The Centre for Bee Education is developing a professional development program for school teachers detailing how to use the bee education Learning Kits in the classroom.

To register interest in the program and receive the latest updates visit, www.wheenbeefoundation.org.au/c4be/contact-us/