Action towards youth and biodiversity

Interview by Jean-Marie MARCOS CAP SUD 2026 Communication Referent

JMM:
What does the educational kit consist of?

JM:
The educational kit is a life-size reproduction of a beehive, it contains documentary resources for teachers adapted to all school levels.

Following a meeting with the editor-in-chief of the magazine Abeilles et fleurs, former president of the UNAF, (National Union of French Beekeepers, a union that brings together more than 20,000 beekeepers), the idea came to develop it in partnership with them, also in collaboration with teachers.

JMM:
To what end?

JM:
The kit is above all an educational tool for teaching teams, students and supervisors of extracurricular activities to:

• Raising awareness among classes from kindergarten to 6th grade, and as part of extracurricular activities during various events, and more broadly, the general public.

• Give an action plan to teachers, school principals and those in charge of extracurricular activities (EPCI town halls).

• To give a plus to schools for the E3D accreditation of the national education.

JMM:
You also talk about specialized establishments.

JM:
Indeed, as part of a therapeutic approach to autistic disorders, an IME in Perpignan has acquired a briefcase, as well as an association in the Moissac region “Espérance Bleue 82” as part of its API AUTISME program in collaboration with a beekeeper.

JMM:
How do you proceed?

JM:
By contacting the local elected officials who are responsible for the management of primary education and extracurricular activities in the town halls. When they are interested, a presentation of the kit is organized. Then, partnerships are formed, concretized by agreements.

JMM:
Do you have any examples?

JM:
Yes, following a call for projects from the town hall of Perpignan whose theme was “Awareness of the decline of bees consequences on pollination and our food” to which I responded and was selected, it was agreed that I would speak for an hour and a half in 5 schools in exchange for the purchase of 2 educational kits.

Another recent example, the town hall of the city of Saint-Cyprien has acquired a kit for the extracurricular activities of the youth centre. Subsequently, contacts were made with teachers via school principals, to organize presentations and “discovery” activities.

JMM:
You talk to me about “discovery” activities!

JMM:
What’s in this briefcase?

JM:
The educational kit includes:

• A beehive

• 5 frames made up of photos taken by a professional photographer, which reproduce the life of the hive. Completed by 5 explanatory cardboard sheets of the photos in the frames.

JMM:
Are you aware of similar actions in other areas?

JM:
A total of 45 kits were sold in France, in clubs, in school apiaries, in town halls. The East district as well as the IDF West and East districts are equipped with educational kits, they also make presentations.

To note an interesting and original project imagined by a group of beekeepers who own the “Poitou bee” kit. During their Bee and Biodiversity Festival, which will take place on September 14 in Viennay (79), they will create a giant and playful educational hive in which children will be able to enter and move around, hearing a recording of the sounds of the hive.

JMM:
What would be your conclusion?

JM:
The exchanges, the students’ thirst for learning, are a great satisfaction for me. These interventions are extremely enriching, I can only encourage our friends to be inspired by them, it is also a good way to communicate for us LIONS.

Jean MARCHAL LIONS CLUB Saint-Cyprien Dean Radiant Coast.
Founding member of the LIONS of France Environmental Challenge.