LUMBERTON — “Without honey bees we would not exist,” Christy Locklear told elementary students at Long Branch Elementary during a special presentation she gave on pollination. Christy serves as the interim dean of continuing education at Robeson Community College.

Part of her passion for beekeeping is sharing her knowledge with others. She currently teaches a continuing education class at RCC “In Business with Beekeeping” and now she has set out to teach the next generation about the importance of bees.

“I taught seven classes on Friday from 8 a.m. to noon at Long Branch,” Christy said. “I was in a hurry and had accidently pulled out the frame of bees that had the Queen, what were the odds of that happening? But it was just meant to be, the kids were so excited to see the Queen Bee… so we had a contest, that whomever found the Queen Bee first, got a sticker.”

“The kids thought it was neat to see how the other bees take care of her, they loved it,” Christy said.

The presentation went along with lessons the elementary students were learning in class. Long Branch Elementary was teaching about pollinators because it was Spring time.

“For the children to be able to see the bees in person and the observation hive, it helped bring what they were learning in class to life,” Christy said. “You could just feel the excitement in the class, the kids had a million questions, they were very inquisitive.”

Some of the children have already decided they want to become beekeepers too.

“There are no age limits, you can learn the trade at any time,” Christy said. “It’s up to the parents if they would like their children to discover more about beekeeping.”

If you or your children are interested in learning more about Beekeeping, please contact Christy Locklear at 910-272-3609 or [email protected].