Australian native bees come in a whole spectrum of colours and sizes.
Unlike the iconic (and introduced) European honeybee that most of us are familiar with, our native bees are mostly solitary and in some cases stingless!

While in Tasmania we have over 100 species of native bees, some common ones are Reed bees, Leafcutter bees, and Resin bees.

Last week, students completed their first workshop on native bees, where they lerned how to identify different species and explore their behaviours.  Today they have been making bee homes across the primary sector, using materials from our school yard and materials brough from students gardens.

This is part of our involvement in the Native Bee Guardians programs, which aims to engage students and the community in supporting lutruwita's native bees.  The program includes hands-on learning about local bees, habitat restoriation, and fostering a connnection to biodiversity and environmental stewardship.  As part of this program, we will also be connecting with Bicheno Landcare to plant native vegetation to support habitat restoration, helping us develop our Contributor learner asset.

What are some things I can do to encourage native bees into my garden?

Everyone knows that bees need flowers!
Aim for a mix of native plants so that you have something blooming all year round.
Research has shown that native bees are more drawn to flowers that are blue, white and yellow, rather than the brighter colours such as red.

Here are a few suggestions for your garden!

Everlasting Daisies, Grevilleas, Wattle, Purple Coral Pea

Some species of native bees aren’t picky when it comes to where they get their pollen!
Here are a few suggestions for non-native plants that can be grown in the garden:

- Lavender
- Camellias
- Delilahs
- Many vegetables and herbs when left to flower, such as cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, and mustard!