Palmerton student shares firsthand knowledge of bees

Gretchen Schaible presents information on honey bees.

Palmerton Area High School senior Gretchen Schaible presented information on the importance of honey bees at this year’s Earth Day Celebration in the school district. Gretchen took time to educate elementary students on the various stages of development in the bees and how the social structure of the hive works. She also did a show-and-tell of some of the equipment beekeepers use to care for the bees as well as what different areas of the hive look like for raising worker bees, drone bees and a queen.

Gretchen also took the time to discuss the different colors of honey and how the nectar the bees collect from different plants and flowers affects the color and flavor of honey. She explained to the students the different uses of beeswax, from cosmetics to candles.

“Our elementary students love to hear from the older students in our school district. Our young students look up to the older students, so I was very happy to have Gretchen be a part of our Earth Day festivities,” said Mr. Ralph Andrews, principal of S. S. Palmer and Parkside Education Center.