The National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) under the Ministry of Environment (Director Yoo Ho) announced on May 20, World Bee Day, that it will conduct experiential education programs to promote the protection of wild bees and the importance of biodiversity at 27 elementary schools in the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon, and Chungbuk regions until October 31.

World Bee Day is a commemorative day established by the United Nations (UN) in 2017 to raise awareness of the important role bees play in ecosystems and food production.

This experiential education program is part of the NIBR’s project ‘Capacity Building Program for Biodiversity Field Workers’ and is centered around activities led by elementary school students focused on wild bee conservation and the promotion of biodiversity.

To develop this educational program, the NIBR selected 120 field workers in the biodiversity sector in April this year and conducted a two-week capacity-building course for on-site lectures, covering topics such as “Characteristics and Habitat Protection of Wild Bees” and “Prevention of Safety Accidents.” 

These biodiversity field workers will visit 115 classes at 27 elementary schools across the five regions of Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Gangwon, and Chungbuk, over the next six months to provide customized experiential learning activities for students. Such activities include finding flowers bees like, making wild bee nests, planting wildflowers, and creating insect maps of their schools.

To create an eco-friendly and safe educational environment, the NIBR will provide participating schools with teaching materials and wildflower seedlings to attract bees, as well as personnel to help prevent safety accidents during classes.

Yoo Ho, Director of the National Institute of Biological Resources, stated, “This experiential education program themed around bees is achieving two goals simultaneously: expanding biodiversity education and fostering skilled on-site instructors.” She added, “We hope that, through World Bee Day, children will come to recognize the value of biodiversity and life, and understand the importance of protecting living organisms.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com