Cedar Trails Exploration Center was all abuzz with excitement on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 19 when a swarm of honey bees was spotted on the empty playground by a CTEC staff member. Principal Deb Ricker contacted the USD 232 Facilities Department who quickly reached out to 7^th grade science teacher and beekeeper, Mr. Nick Pierce, located next door at Mill Creek Middle School. While early childhood students enjoyed an indoor recess, Nick took time to identify the queen and safely relocate approximately 1600 bees to a new hive. Not only did no one get stung, but all bees were all gathered in time for the students to safely dismiss at the end of the day! While it is unknown where this new colony of bees came from, MCMS was pleased to welcome this new addition to their bee yard.

Thanks to a grant from the USD 232 Education Foundation, Mill Creek Middle School was able to install bee hives within the 78-acres of school grounds last spring. This new installation helped the 7^th grade team at MCMS incorporate beekeeping into their curriculum. Beekeeping offers students opportunities for cross‐curricular projects and real-world learning which include observing pollinators and their environmental impacts, practicing food safety techniques, and helping make decisions similar to a small business.