Beeswax wraps take over schools

Comvita is celebrating Bee Aware Month this September by teaching more than 400 New Zealand kids how to make sustainable beeswax wraps.

Kiwi Bee Coordinator Kelly McKenzie and Comvita Communications Advisor Emma Schuler have run eight practical beeswax wraps making sessions so far, starting at Kerikeri High School in Northland, before visiting Waverly Primary School in Whanganui, Meeanee Primary in the Hawke’s Bay and Dalefield School in Carterton. This Wednesday, a handful of Head Office staff will host a practical lesson at Paengaroa School for more than 50 senior students.  

To make the wraps, students bring cotton fabric from home, with Kiwi Bee providing beeswax from its hives as well as the other materials required, such as baking paper, irons and graters. There is also an education component to each session, with those in attendance learning about honey, the different roles bees play in the hive, and how through pollination, bees contribute to the natural environment. 

General Manager Apiaries, Trevor Clarke, said Bee Aware Month is the perfect opportunity for Kiwi Bee to extend its community relations programme and teach young people about the precious products produced in the hive and what they can be used for.

“Beeswax wraps are a great alternative to cling wrap for wrapping school lunches in, and every bit helps in reducing single use plastics. All the beeswax used to make the wraps is from our own Kiwi Bee hives, which is a nice touch. Each hour-long lesson also provides an opportunity to discuss why bees are so important to the ecosystem and how they help preserve the natural environment around us, which is what Bee Aware Month is all about,” said Trevor.

Organised by Apiculture New Zealand, Bee Aware Month aims to get New Zealanders thinking about honey bees and their contribution to biodiversity and the economy. This year’s Bee Aware Month theme is Bee Health. For more information visit www.apinz.org.nz.