We’re excited to welcome our newest residents at our Civic Library at Woodville with the completion of our brand new observation bee hive in a first for a council.
Around 20,000 buzzing bees were transferred into the custom-built hive on Sunday.
The unique bee hive project, which was 13 months of planning and design in the making, features an external chute for the bees to come and go as they wish and allows an uninterrupted view of the bees’ busy activities.
Mark Hannan, Strategic Planner of Open Space Environmental Management said the hive was a great addition to the library.
“Libraries have evolved significantly over time, not just to be about books, but to be a place where people can connect and learn all sorts of things in new ways,” he said.
“What an amazing thing to be able to experience the world of bees up close and personal.”
Sandra Ullrich of Adelaide Bee Sanctuary said the hive was a treat for the senses for people of all ages.
“You can see the bees, you can actually listen to them and at times you get a waft of honey coming through,” she said.
“This a great place where education can take place, we’ve got wonderful children’s books around and a gorgeous space where we can actually engage with the young and older people as well and learn about bees.
“It’s a first for a council.”
The new observation hive is available for all customers to visit during library opening hours at Civic Library at Woodville.
Honey collected will be added to the raw honey that we currently sell at our Civic, Henley Beach and Hindmarsh libraries.
Our libraries boast a great collection of bee-related books and resources for those wishing to explore the wide world of bees.
The City of Charles Sturt is so grateful to beekeeper extraordinaire Robert Beer of the Beekeepers' Society of South Australia who built the hive and helped bring this idea to life for the benefit of our community.