Something bee-utiful
is happening at The Hive.
Bee Resilient is a youth climate-adaptation and pollinator-resilience programme, now buzzing at Leigh School. Young citizen scientists, pollinator gardens and a community growing resilience together.
Programme news lands right here and on our Instagram. Want to get involved — as a sponsor or a Resilience Influencer? Give us a buzz.
The hive is buzzing.
An excited, climate-ready team is bringing Bee Resilient to life at Leigh School. Here's what's happening in and around The Hive.
Growing the garden
Pollinator-friendly, staggered-bloom plots giving bees food across the seasons.
Mapping local hazards
Students chart local climate hazards and habitats, connecting the garden to their community.
Young citizen scientists
Young observers record what they see in the field — real data, real curiosity.
Sharing the journey
Follow the buzz — programme updates and Resilience Influencer clips on our Instagram.
"Every hive starts quiet — a few bees, a bit of pollen, a lot of patience."The Hive · Leigh School
The hive is open.
From first plans to a buzzing pilot at Leigh School — here's how far the hive has come, with a full growing season still ahead.
Climate change & bee survival
Bees are an early-warning species for climate change — what students observe in the school garden connects directly to the hazards our community is planning for.
Shifting flowering times
Warmer seasons push plants to bloom earlier or later than usual — when flowering no longer lines up with bee activity, food becomes scarce.
Extreme weather events
Storms, floods and heatwaves damage flowers and can harm colonies directly — ground-nesting native bees are especially vulnerable to flooding.
Temperature stress
Bees are highly heat-sensitive. Prolonged high temperatures reduce foraging activity and affect brood development.
Habitat loss
Drought can turn once flower-rich areas inhospitable, forcing bees to travel further for food — diverse, staggered-bloom gardens are a practical local response.
Bee a Resilience Influencer.
Resilience comes in many forms — bouncing back from a setback, a community rallying after a storm, nature recovering, or simply trying again. Share your story in a short clip and help our tamariki see what resilience looks like in real life. Favourites will feature on our Instagram as part of the Bee Resilient journey.
Keep it short & friendly
Film 15–60 seconds, vertical (portrait) on your phone — Instagram Reels length. Kid-friendly language, first name only is fine.
Tell one resilience story
Start with "Resilience to me is…" then share one real example — personal, community, nature, or work. One idea per clip works best.
Film it simply
Good light (face a window or go outside), hold the phone steady or prop it up, and speak clearly. No editing needed — honest beats polished.
Send it to the hive
Email your clip (or a share link) to info@beeresilient.co.nz with the subject "Resilience Influencer" and a line confirming we may share it on our Instagram.
By submitting, you confirm the clip is yours, everyone in it is happy to appear, and it's okay for Bee Resilient to share it on social media. Clips featuring anyone under 18 need a parent or guardian's okay.
Buzzing in pictures.
Suits on, smokers lit, clipboards out — a peek at our young beekeepers and citizen scientists in action.
Meet the key people.
Every hive needs its bees — here's the crew leading Bee Resilient at Leigh School.
Grass Esposti
Lead Beekeeper
Beetopia NZ / NZ Honey Tasting Shed, Matakana
Dr Ngaire Hart (Ngāti Wai)
Native Bee Science
AUT
Leigh School
Host School
Rodney, Auckland
A hive built on partnership
The driving force of Bee Advocacy.
Bee Resilient is the flagship programme and main driving force behind Bee Advocacy — a worldwide collaborative movement creating the next generation of bee advocates through children's education, pollinator conservation and climate resilience.
We need your support to further our project delivery.
Bee Resilient runs on community support. Every dollar goes directly into programme delivery at Leigh School — equipment, plants, facilitation and resources — received and managed through our umbrella organisation, Matakana Community Group.
Plants & gardens
Pollinator-friendly natives, staggered-bloom planting and garden beds for hands-on learning.
Equipment & resources
Observation gear, learning resources and citizen-science tools for our young researchers.
Facilitation & delivery
Expert-led sessions bringing bees, climate and resilience to life for the students.
In-kind support
Materials, trades, services or time — practical contributions are just as valuable as dollars.
Get in touch to discuss sponsorship at any level — every contribution helps the hive. Prizes, vouchers and experiences for the tamariki are welcomed too.
All donations are received through Matakana Community Group and a full tax-deductible receipt can be provided on request.
Follow the buzz.
Programme news lands right here and on our Instagram. Questions, sponsorship, or a Resilience Influencer clip to share? We'd love to hear from you.