The annual Honey Harvest, which has become a sweet tradition at D-E, is a cross-divisional learning opportunity primarily for first and sixth graders that takes place in the Middle School (MS) Teaching Kitchen. Three interactive stations were set up for beekeepers Eric and Mary Hanan, along with their son, Simon, who oversee D-E’s on-campus apiary, to explain the lifecycle of a bee, demonstrate how to uncap the individual cells of beeswax, and extract honey from the frames using a centrifuge. Middle and Upper School students as well as D-E faculty/staff were also invited to taste honey from the spring, summer, and fall harvests, each with its own flavor profile. Students who could correctly guess the weight and color of the honey released by the tap could take home a bottle of our apiary’s honey. The event was facilitated by MS 6th Grade Class Dean and D-E In the Garden (“DIG”) Teacher Ms. Urbanowski, who asked her class to compile several things they learned from the experience. “Bees are very important for the environment,” said DIG student Kyle S. ’30. “The ecosystem would die without bees.” Classmate Ethan S. said he learned that bees can transfer pollen from bee to bee during the pollination process—a nice example of teamwork. Here’s to another successful Honey Harvest!
