Bees have inspired a Northern Beaches Council staff member to design an educational program which is gifting toddlers with a love for the environment.

Early childhood educator Zivana Spittles from Brookvale Children’s Centre has created the ‘Life Cycle of the Bee’ program which is now being rolled out across Northern Beaches Council Child Care centres.

Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan said the program was a great example of the dedication and commitment to education by our Council staff delivering an excellent outcome.

“The ‘Life Cycle of the Bee’ has become a focus of teaching in our centres in regards to caring for our environment, teaching practical hands-on skills and reducing waste – all at the same time.

“The implications of the program are important not only in our role as educators but also in our role as sustainability mentors,” Mayor Regan said.

The children explore the ‘Life Cycle of the Bee’ through their senses, touching and smelling flowers and beeswax and tasting honeycomb before making reusable beeswax wraps, which can be used instead of plastic alternatives like cling wrap.

The program has also inspired the children’s families to get involved, responding with their own suggestions about how the centres can reduce their overall use of plastic.

Ms Spittles was inspired by the idea for the program after finding beeswax and cotton fabric in a resources cupboard.

Some centres, including Brookvale, are now also sourcing native beehives so that the children can see the bees working in a hive, making wax and honey.