Residents at Parkwood Place joined forces with 22 Grade 7 students from Lansdowne Middle School to make what are known as bee bombs for Earth Day.
Bee bombs are handmade seed balls made from clay powder, peat-free compost and seeds from native wildflower species – the initiative at Parkwood Place is meant to encourage more bee traffic in local gardens.
Cheryl Chalifour, director of administrative services at Parkwood Place, said that bee bombs aid in creating a bee highway. Urban development has increased the distance between gardens that bees have to fly, so these efforts are important to create more opportunities for bees to thrive, she said.
Parkwood Place staff are also working to plant a sustainable herb garden to support residents while also becoming more reliant on the growth of their own food.
“Growing a self-sustainable garden is something we really want to do,” said Chuck Naylor, a resident at Parkwood Place and knowledgable tomato grower. “Getting out in the garden and creating something that will help feed the people that live here and help the bigger community is a wonderful thing.”
Shirley-Lou Hansen, a resident at Parkwood Place, said that helping the bees is important and that everybody should do their part.
Naylor assisted the students from Lansdowne Middle School in planting seeds in the herb garden and Hansen made bee bombs with the students, along with several other residents.
ALSO READ: Strawberry Vale Elementary students restore native species garden in Saanich for Earth Week
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