What do you know about bees? If you don’t know much, you’re not the only one. Maymont and the Master Gardner’s program of Richmond is here to fill in the gaps. On Saturday, June 13 Maymont Park hosted the second annual “Bumblebee Jamboree”. The event is held to celebrate National Pollinators week and aims to educate children and adults alike on the creatures that help pollinate our environment.

A longtime volunteer of Peter Paul, Rick McCormick, is a master gardener and involved with organizing this event. He worked with Peter Paul staff to invite a group of students to attend the Jamboree. He also asked friends and neighbors to make donations to help cover transportation and food costs for the field trip. In all, 20 PPDC students attended and enjoyed the activities and learning stations on the lawn of the Children’s Farm. Highlights included a “Pollinator Hotel” station, where attendees could make a bee habitat from empty soda cans, cardboard, and straws; and an educational puppet show that was put on every hour. Event attendees could also plant and take home a pollinator-friendly flower to plant in their garden. Our kids also loved visiting inside the butterfly tents! Though it was a muggy day and nearly one hundred degrees, our Peter Paul group had a great time and learned a thing or two about ways to promote healthy environments for our essential pollinators.