(April 17, 2025) – This Earth Day, Laurentian University will buzz with excitement as local high school students help launch the “Air Bee and Bee” project, a unique environmental initiative aimed at protecting native pollinators and enhancing biodiversity on campus.
Led by Laurentian’s Dr. Mateus Pepinelli, Assistant Professor of Entomology, School of Natural Sciences, and the Nature Positive Universities (NPU) team, students from Lockerby Composite School’s Science and Technology Education Program (STEP) will install custom-built bee hotels along the University’s greenspace (Loach’s trail). These hotels are the product of hands-on workshops hosted by Laurentian’s NPU team, that engaged over one hundred grade nine students; the next generation of environmental stewards.
“It's been so inspiring to engage with the students at Lockerby,” said Laurentian NPU team member, Anastacia Chartrand. “Building partnerships like this is supporting Laurentian's commitment to climate action, meaningful outreach within the community, and environmental solutions."
“With climate change shifting the balance of plant and insect life, monitoring these changes has never been more important, or more challenging,” explained Pepinelli. “This project uses bee hotels to provide nesting habitats for solitary bees, aiming to support and study native pollinator populations and their interactions.”
The “Air Bee and Bee” project addresses major environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental inequity, while promoting hands-on environmental education and community engagement. It is supported by funding from the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada’s A.P.E. Fund and the Voyageurs Innovation Challenge*.
“Lockerby Composite’s STEP students have been participating in un-bee-lieveable learning opportunities with Laurentian University and Voyageur students and staff this school year; and we are so fortunate to have this collaborative environmental science partnership,” said Lockerby Composite School Principal, Ryan Lafraniere. “The Bee Hotel project has provided our students an opportunity to develop their understanding and knowledge of best environmental practices to make changes within their school community and the Sudbury community as well. Through this project, students have engaged in investigating local ecological concerns and have been empowered to support environmental Earth Day initiatives.”
Earth Day celebrations begin buzzing on campus on April 22nd at 8:45 a.m. outside the Ben Avery building. Members of the community are encouraged to join in on the fun. Educational signage will help inform visitors about the “Air Bee and Bee” project, and the pollinators' role in maintaining biodiversity and building climate resilience.
*The Voyageurs Innovation Challenge, a Research Week event, showcased student-driven entrepreneurship and research under faculty mentorship. Laurentian’s NPU team earned second place at this year’s competition with their project “eDNA Enhanced Bee Hotels.”
Those interested in learning more about the Restoration Story of Greater Sudbury are invited to watch the following video that celebrates decades of world-class research led by Dr. John Gunn, Canada Research Chair (2003-2024), Founding Director of the Vale Living with the Lakes Centre, and Professor Emeritus. Earlier this year, Gunn was awarded the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal, an honour that acknowledges his research in environmental science, leadership in mentoring future sustainability leaders, and stewardship of Sudbury’s environmental restoration story on the global stage.