Earlier this year, two graduate students in the Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology program, Jessica Braun and Victoria Peechatt, along with the University Museum of Natural History's Education Coordinator Cynthia School, participated in a “Kids and Bees” day exhibit as part of the 2025 American Beekeeping Federation Conference.
The outreach included sharing specimens from the museum’s collections of native bees. According to the conference organizers, over 500 schoolchildren attended the Saturday event.
“I often meet kids that are scared of bees at these events,” Braun said. “I tell them it is normal and understandable to be scared, and that they do not have to come any closer if they don't want to, that they can look or ask questions from a distance or even walk away if they are uncomfortable. A vast majority of the time, they come closer to get a better look and become a lot less scared. While some kids still walk away with a mild fear of bees, it is always amazing to me to watch a lot, if not all, of their fear melt away in their short time with me and the bees.”
“I think of every outreach opportunity as a way to share my love and knowledge of insects,” Peechatt said. “I hope to inspire even just one person to acknowledge insects, be more curious than fearful of them and appreciate them as we coexist on this planet together.”
Bees provide numerous benefits to humans, but native bee populations are dwindling. Scholl said that some of the best ways to help native bees include planting native plant species, providing shelter like bee houses or “leaving your leaves” and not using pesticides.
