CAMDEN — Members of the Keep Camden Beautiful Committee visited Camden Fairview Elementary May 16 and 17 to make ‘seed bombs’ with students - while teaching a lesson on the importance of bees.
According to KCB committee member Joshua Taylor, the local organization is asked to hold educational programs as part of its affiliation with Keep America Beautiful. KCB chose to lead a workshop for kindergarten and first grade students that teaches about bees and what they do for humans
“Our hope is that the students will be inspired to become interested not only helping to save the bees but also in continuing to plant flowers,” Taylor stated.
With supplies donated by What’s Cookin,’ KCB volunteers and teachers helped the students create seed bombs - balls of clay and compost that are filled with wildflower seeds. The seed bombs do not have to be planted, they just have to be thrown on the ground where flowers can grow. After the children rolled the clay, compost, and seeds into balls, making the seed bombs - they were able to add color. Each child was able to color their seed bomb by rolling it in chalk dust. There was pink, orange, green, blue, andpurple to choose from.
KCB also created activity books with the help of B&M Painting that was filled with coloring pages and information for parents.
Some of the information included a lesson about bees, particularly honeybees, that have been pollinating plants for millions of years.
They are responsible for pollinating over a third of the U.S. food supply, including crops such as: tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, apples, oranges, cherries, melons, and almost all wild plants and flowers.
Sadly, the bee population is declining rapidly.
That’s why it’s important to make sure bees in the community are healthy.
One great way to do this is to make sure that bees have plenty of food.
Bees feed on nectar and pollen from flowers, and this is where the seed bombs come in.
The seed bombs can be planted in a clay pot or throw them in the yard, in abandoned lots, or along the road side.
They’ll provide a fun splash of color, and a tasty snack for Camden’s bees.
For more information about KCB’s activities - such as the upcoming Great Camden Cleanup, visit www.facebook.com/keepcamdenbeautiful or email [email protected].