Beekeeping Helps Jenson Improve Mental Health and Return to School
"When I'm down there, we're looking at the bees and that's all I'm thinking about."
Seventeen-year-old Jenson and his parents credit his beekeeping hobby for his return to mainstream education.
Following the coronavirus pandemic, Jenson struggled with anxiety and depression, leading to him being home schooled during Year 8 as he approached his teenage years.
His mother, Donna, described taking him out of school as "the best thing" she could have done, stating,
"The hardest thing for any parent to see is their child depressed [with] low self-esteem and not wanting to socialise."
She added,
"It was hard for me, for the family, for everybody."
Donna explained that Jenson needed to "find his own way" without any "forcing or structure."
During this period, he began volunteering at the Shropshire Beekeepers' Association and developed a passion for beekeeping.
This experience ultimately encouraged him to return to school after four years away.
Jenson has since acquired two hives, which are maintained at his grandparents' home in Minsterley.
He said,
"[My family] have been really supportive towards me when it comes to my bees."
He added,
"Both my mum and my grandma, they've both got suits and they like to come and help me out on occasion, when I'm checking on the hives."
Jenson, from Four Crosses in Powys, noted that caring for his hives helps him "focus and not worry" about daily life.
He explained,
"It helps clear your mind and get in a better headspace when it comes to life in general."
"I spend a lot of time out here in the countryside and beekeeping has really helped me to grow as a person."
'Shropshire is beautiful'
Jenson is not the only young person in the region benefiting from beekeeping.
Students at Shropshire's Newport Girls' High School Academy (NGHS) have been encouraged to pursue beekeeping through an after-school club.
Led by chemistry teacher Justin Wade, the club regularly involves eight pupils who care for its apiary and learn about bee biology.
Sixth form student Evelyn joined the club when it began three years ago and said she might not have considered beekeeping without the school's encouragement.
She remarked,
"It takes up a lot of time but it's really important for people my age to get out and to be in the environment."
"I mean we live in Shropshire, it's beautiful and we really need to make the most of it."
The 16-year-old from Edgmond finds that bees create a "nice, calming environment" and she plans to continue beekeeping after finishing school.
She added she would have "loved" to have kept bees earlier in life.
"When I'm looking at universities, I do always have a lurk in whether they have bees and that does come into account for me, strangely enough," she said.
"When I'm older I would love to have bees, which is strange because we always say it's when people are older, so I guess that's when you do have the time to care for them."
'Fascinating creatures'
Another club member, 13-year-old Elizabeth, joined when she started at the school in Year 7, having previously completed some beekeeping assessments.
Her family keeps bees at their home in Knightley, near Gnosall, and Elizabeth is eager to deepen her knowledge.
She said,
"When I first came, it was autumn so there was less chance to go in the bees because it was getting colder."
"[Instead], we made candles, we did melissopalynology, which is the study of more pollinators in the honey, then we started making some frames."
"They're just honestly really fascinating creatures when you think about it, like the whole structure of the hive and the way they work, it's so cool."
Elizabeth appreciates having peers in the club, noting it is "quite hard to find" young people interested in beekeeping.
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