| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.93 |
| Liaison | Emily Zabanah |
| Submission Date | Feb. 1, 2024 |
Seneca Polytechnic
IN-48: Innovation B
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Paula
Echeveste Sustainability Specialist - Engagement & Outreach Office of Sustainability |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
Seneca’s beekeeping initiative includes 50 hives across three campuses. Seneca beehives produce upwards of 200 pounds of honey per hive, totalling 10,000 pounds of honey annually. The honey is bottled straight from the hives and sold on campus.
Currently, bees are buzzing at Newnham, King and Peterborough campuses with plans to add more hives in the future. The apiaries are maintained by Don Forster, a registered commercial beekeeper, and Seneca’s Director of Sustainability. As an important insect in the ecosystem, bees are essential for pollinating trees, plants and flowers. They fly about two to five kilometers away from Seneca and contribute to the natural pollination of neighbouring landscapes.
Seneca now offers two introductory beekeeping workshops through Continuing Education.
The first workshop, Introduction to Beekeeping, is intended for beginners and hobbyist beekeepers to learn the essentials of how to get started in beekeeping. The curriculum covers the tools and equipment needed, bee identification and biology, activities within the beekeeper's calendar and the provincial laws and municipal bylaws governing beekeeping in Ontario.
In the spring, a second workshop, Spring Beekeeping, provides hands-on yard experience and is intended to build on the first workshop with interactive beehive management. Students will open a hive to observe and help manage the bees, including nucleus hives, maintaining a hive, queening, re-queening, creating splits and disease and pest control.
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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