The Bees Knees Apiary (2025).

One aspect of working at Deciem Inc. that I genuinely appreciate is their commitment to encouraging its people to volunteer. Each full-time employee is given a paid day to volunteer, referred to as a "Good Day". This year, I chose to pick an organization that involves the environment and, if possible, also has a layer of sustainability in my volunteer work. After some research and sending emails of interest to many organizations, I had the pleasure of working with a Beekeeper named Julie from The Bees Knees Apiary. The experience was not just memorable, but it was a profound learning journey that exceeded my expectations. I had expected to learn about bees and their role in the environment, but I never anticipated the depth of knowledge and the joy I would experience. I spent over two hours documenting all things related to bees and learning so much in the process while wearing an all-white bee suit. The educational impact of this experience was immense, and it left me with a wealth of knowledge about the fascinating world of bees.

While there were specific facts that I knew beforehand, such as bees collecting pollen with their knees (hence "the bees' knees"), the importance of bees, and their crucial contributions to sustainability, the joy of learning new things was unparalleled. Bees, as pollinators, play a vital role in the ecosystem, contributing to the growth of many of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables that we consume. This knowledge is not just interesting; this experience was also a call to action for us to protect these vital creatures. Also, male drone bees had larger, fuller eyes than female bees, and the queen bee fed a generous amount of royal jelly. New things I will never forget is that the compound nature of a bees eyes can allow them to look at multiple difference things at once, that bees do not always die after they sting (especially if their stingers only pierce through certain materials outside of skin), and the most fascinating fact that I learned was that the hive comes to a consensus on how long the queen bee should survive and will eventually replace her despite a queen bee having being able to live a life spanning over four years.

Using a macro lens caused me to reframe how I had physically seen bees, especially getting super close to them through my lens, allowing me to see so many details in their faces and see precisely how bees use their tongues. Previously, I had only seen this on an episode of "The Magic School Bus" as a child. As the vibrating sound of their wings filled the air with vitality, I observed the slight differences in their hair and the range of colours on their exoskeleton, concurrently noting the homogenous similarities of the overall shape and size of the female honey bees. I am not huge on consuming honey, but after seeing the bees at work, I suddenly had a desire to taste the sweet, precious, raw honey that they worked hard to create. From the excitement of spotting the queen bee to seeing a new bee emerging from its cell, the experience was not just educational but also profoundly moving. Working alongside a Beekeeper redefined my admiration for these tiny insects, instilling in me a deep sense of respect and appreciation for their incredible habits, innate desire to create, and commendable work ethic. This newfound respect has deepened my knowledge of environmental causes and sustainability.