York Prep
York Prep students love honey. So do most people. The difference is that we buy it at the store. At this preparatory school, it’s made with bees that nest on their low hanging roof!
The sight of half a million bees in Manhattan caught the attention of a Wall Street Journal reporter. Ralph Gardner Jr. and a photographer made the trip to the school. They wanted to learn about the York Prep bees.
A Beekeepers Class
It started with a class the principal of the school, Chris Durnford, took. It was at the New York City Beekeepers Association. “When I finished the class, I thought this was perfect for the school. It’s amazing how much more I’m into the bees than I expected,” said Durnford.
Obstacles to Half a Million Bees
Despite the enthusiastic beginning, obstacles soon got in the way. One was the neighbors. They were not thrilled with the news that 500,000 honeybees would appear in their midst. On an adjoining roof nonetheless. The school, located at 40 West 68th Street in Manhattan, did not seem bee hive conducive.
The parents of the students did not initially warmly welcome the idea. In fact, the average overprotective parent could seem downright hostile it. Legally binding permission slips would need signatures. And certainly, questions would come.
“You can’t help parent phobia,” acknowledged Mr. Durnford. “One student was allergic to bees. We spoke to him and his family. We talked them through it. They’re Italian honeybees. They’re as passive as you can get. “
Despite initial trepidations, the project began.
The York Prep Bees Get Delivered
OnApril 30, 2010, the bees got delivered. They eventually found their way to five hives assembled by the students. A visiting Wall Street Journal reporter went up to see them in late summer of 2010. Most of them were hidden in those hives. However, it appeared at any one time several hundred bees shuttled to and from Central Park. Located nearby, that’s where the bees collected their nectar.
With a travelling radius of five miles, some of the bees journey about. But they don’t have to. The 11th grade life science class students created flower and vegetable gardens. The bees could and do pollinate them on the rooftop.
Bee Habits
Mr. Durnford and the students who work the hives are members of the New York Beekeeping Association. They also wore the protective moon suits when on the roof. The reporter and photographer did not. The photographer quickly got stung. Mr. Durnford turned the incident into a teachable moment.
He showed the gathered York Prep students the stinger as he removed it. He pointed out the venom sac. He also showed the students how to remove the stinger. “Squeeze it out this way so when you get stung just slide it back out,” explained Mr. Durnford.
He mentioned that this was the first incident since the beehives were operational. He also commented how bees like dark places like noses and ears.
Beekeeper Club Members
During this incident the students asked several questions about the bees. The level of engagement appeared to the reporter as very high. The reporter also noticed a dearth of girls on the roof.
“Excellent question,” Mr. Durnford said. “It’s clearly a male dominated club at the moment. A lot of the garden was built by the girls. I think they all thought we were a little crazy when we said we were going to bring 500,000 bees on the roof.”
York Prep: Saving the Bees
The discussion morphed into actions of each bee gender. The distribution of gender was the opposite of the school’s beekeepers club. It seems the female queens are overabundant in the hives. The main chore of male bees is to mate with the queen. After that, they face expulsion from the hive by the female. In the fall, one can see all the male bees crawling around on the ground.
Honey Production
One of the many benefits of bees is the production of the sweet nectar itself, honey. The school hoped to harvest 120 pounds of it. Mr. Durnford noted the weather, abundance of plant life and willing bees might increase that production. He hoped for 500 pounds the next year. Everyone in the school could sample it.
The bees have to survive the New York winters, of course. But the hive temperatures are maintained at a steamy 98 degrees, ensuring continuity.
One of Many Initiatives
York Prep is known for its wide array of student clubs and associations. They are supervised in a confident and joyous manner by committed faculty. They include (listed with their advisor/s):
- Ambassadors Club Cathy Minaudo/Elizabeth Norton
- Anime and Graphic Novels Club Pedro Camargo
- Barbershop Group Jack Stanley
- Beekeepers Society Maria Alegre/Nicole Kalisz
- Boat Building Club Karl Hartman
- Broadway Club Sammantha Farkas/Brittany McKinney
- Chess, Backgammon & Games Club Ted Preston/Taviel Guren
- Community Service Club Kim Braun
- CPR/AEDClub Russell Josephs
- Dance/Zumba Club Eric Tull/Alicia Weschler
- Documentary Club Naava Katz
- Environmental Club Glenn Rubic/Jennifer Salerno
- Explorers Club (School Trips) Melissa Feibusch/Michele Lodespoto/Wendy Jin
- Fantasy Football Ethan Pennington/Jon Serri
- Fitness Club Christina Schirone
- French Cinema Club Jennifer Campo
- Gay/Straight Alliance Thomas Henson/Michael Roper/Jennifer Campo
- Genesis Leah Umansky/Anna Martens
- Junior State of America Donna Gelard
- Lego Club Brittany McKinney/Sammantha Farkas
- Math Competition Club Taviel Guren
- Model United Nations Heather Marshall‐Fleenor/Nicole Grimes
- Multicultural Club Nicole Grimes/Ted Preston
- New York City Tour Club Michael Roper/Jack Stanley
- Open Studio Club Karl Hartman
- Origami Club Wendy Jin
- The Paw Leah Umansky/Anna Martens
- Peer Tutoring Program Kim Braun
- Photography Club Alexandra Rosen/Kate Logan
- Prom Committee Robin Stark
- Rock Band Gina Costanza
- School Production/Drama Club Maria Getz
- Science Club Stephanie Sadeghi
- Student Government Organization (SGO) Michele Lodespoto/Melissa Feibusch
- Titanic Club & Ships of the Sea Club Jack Stanley
- Vibe Book Discussion Group Diane Carel/Martha Caruso
- World Issues Awareness Club Heather Marshall‐Fleenor
- WYRK Patrick Green/Naava Katz
- Yearbook Maria Alegre/Pedro Camargo
After the principal attended a New York Beekeepers Association class, he started a club at YorkPreparatory School. They were able to get Andrew Cote to work with the York Prep student bee project. Mr. Cote is a beekeeper of some renown. He was happy to get involved with the York Prep project.