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Announcing the Winners of the “Bee Creative: Maltese Honey Bee artVenture”

Promotional poster for the 'Bee Creative' competition featuring illustrations of bees and honeycomb patterns, promoting environmental awareness and creativity among primary school students in Malta.

20th May 2024 | World Bee Day | Bee Engaged with Youth

Few weeks ago, the Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee (KNM) partnered with HSBC Malta Foundation and launched “BeeCreative: Maltese Honey Bee artVenture,” a unique competition designed to foster creativity and environmental awareness among Malta’s youngest citizens. Through this initiative centered around the Maltese Honey Bee, the island’s proposed National Insect, we invited students from Years 4 to 6 (ages 8-11) to explore its world through drawings, poems or paintings, expressing their creativity and highlight the significance of the Maltese Honey Bee in beekeeping, for the environment and as natural heritage. By combining educational and artistic elements, this initiative aimed to cultivate a deep appreciation for this special pollinator.

Today, the 20th of May 2024 marks World Bee Day, an annual celebration observed worldwide to raise awareness about the crucial role of bees and other pollinator which this year focuses on the theme “Bee Engaged with Youth”, highlighting the importance of involving young people in beekeeping and pollinator conservation efforts, recognising them as the future stewards of our environment.

On this significant day, we are delighted to announce that 125 submissions have been received from various primary schools across Malta and Gozo! The top 15 entries announced below will be awarded a hand-knitted Maltese Honey Bee as a token of appreciation. Selecting the best submissions proved a challenging task as all entries were crafted with passion! We placed emphasis on submissions that incorporated Maltese elements into their artwork. Furthermore, in recognition of Paola, St. Joseph (Sliema) and Żurrieq Primary Schools’ remarkable participation, several A3 posters showcasing the initiative to designate the Maltese Honey Bee as Malta’s National Insect by the Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee, will be distributed to them.

A group of hand-knitted Maltese honey bee toys resting on a bush.
Hand-Knitted Maltese Honey Bees

A hand-knitted Maltese honey bee toy placed on a table beside informational flyers about the National Insect initiative, featuring a colorful floral tablecloth in the background.
Hand-knitted Maltese Honey Bee, featuring characteristics of the local honey bee, such as its dark colour which will be distributed in recognition of their creativity to the top 15 students participating in this initiative.
A bulletin board featuring various student awards including categories like 'Star Student', 'Handwriting Award', and 'Special Helper'. Additionally, there's a poster highlighting the Maltese Honey Bee as the National Insect.
Poster promoting the Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee to designate the Maltese Honey Bee as a national species.

This initiative served as part of the KNM Foundation’s Empowerment through Education campaign, linked to the designation of the Maltese Honey Bee as Malta’s National Insect.

“An interesting observation was the misconception about the Maltese Honey Bee’s colour, often depicted as yellow instead of its actual darker appearance. The continuous importation of yellowish Italian Honey Bees poses a significant risk to the local population, contributing to the extinction threat faced by our endemic subspecies. This underscores the need for increased educational efforts to raise awareness among the younger generations about Malta’s unique biodiversity and the urgency to protect it for the future,” said Abner Joe Buttigieg, an Administrator from the KNM Foundation.

“HSBC Malta Foundation is proud to support this initiative, which not only fosters creativity among young students but also raises crucial awareness about the importance of preserving our local biodiversity. By educating and inspiring the next generation, we are taking significant steps towards ensuring the sustainability of Malta’s natural heritage,” said Glen Bugeja from HSBC.

Let’s protect our precious Maltese Honey Bee!
Happy World Bee Day!

To stay up to date with the Foundation’s work, we warmly invite you to join our WhatsApp community. The smooth functioning of our organisation relies on financial resources, and your support is essential. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a real difference in advancing our mission. You can help by joining the Foundation’s cause, become a supporter for just €10 a year or make a donation here: Support the Foundation.

Skye Rose CaruanaMellieħa Primary School 
Luke BonniciŻurrieq Primary School
Dimitar Zlati ZlatevSt. Francis Primary School, Msida
Mattia BonniciŻurrieq Primary School
Ksenya CardonaSt. Joseph Primary School, Sliema
Michela Zammit Żurrieq Primary School
Lea ZammitPaola Primary School
Francesca AttardSt. Joseph Primary School, Sliema
Katrina MicallefSt. Joseph Primary School, Sliema
Gaia MizziSt. Joseph Primary School, Sliema
Mira Attard KurtulanSt. Joseph Primary School, Sliema
Michela RefaloSt. Joseph Primary School, Sliema
Jerome XuerebSannat Primary School, Gozo
Niah Briffa CaddooSt. Joseph Primary School, Sliema
Alessia Farrugia SchembriŻurrieq Primary School
Winners of the “Bee Creative: Maltese Honey Bee artVenture”

A colorful drawing depicting a heart divided into two sections. One side shows a jar labeled 'Honey' while the other features a cartoon bee, with a message urging to 'Help Save the Bees'.
Skye Rose Caruana
A colorful drawing of a bee with yellow and black stripes on a red background, including a cross symbol, created by a student named Luke Bonnici.
Luke Bonnici
A colorful drawing featuring a smiling bee with a heart, surrounded by a globe and elements representing Malta, including hexagonal honeycomb and leaves, celebrating World Bee Day.
Dimitar Zlati Zlatev
A colorful drawing of a bee on a honeycomb background, created by a student named Mattia Bonnici as part of the BeeCreative initiative.
Mattia Bonnici
Illustration depicting a cartoon bee next to a beehive, surrounded by various flowers in a grassy field, with text in Maltese emphasizing the importance of bees and nature.
Ksenya Cardona
A colorful drawing featuring three cartoon bees flying over flowers and a tree, with the words 'Save Bees!' prominently displayed in bold letters.
Michela Zammit 
A colorful drawing featuring a honey bee flying over a flower and honeycombs, with a speech bubble saying, 'Please don't kill me I can help you get food for you like apples and avocados.'
Lea Zammit
A colorful artwork featuring various flowers in bloom with bees flying around, accompanied by a message about the importance of Maltese Honey Bees in relation to flowers.
Francesca Attard
A colorful drawing featuring two cartoon bees and a large pink flower, with the text 'Bee Smart!' and a dialogue about Maltese bees.
Katrina Micallef
A colorful drawing depicting bees flying over a blue water surface surrounded by sunflowers, with the text 'Save the bees and see the world around you.'
Gaia Mizzi
A child's drawing advocating for the conservation of Maltese bees, featuring two cartoon bees flying around a honey jar and the phrase 'SAVE MALTESE BEES' at the top.
Mira Attard Kurtulan
A colorful drawing featuring a sunflower, a pink flower, and two cartoon bees, with a heart and the text 'Inħobb l-Għasel' (I love honey) on a blue background.
Michela Refalo
A colorful drawing featuring bees and honey, with Maltese elements such as the flag and flowers, created by a student named Jerome Xuereb from Sannat Primary School.
Jerome Xuereb
A colorful drawing depicting a honeybee surrounded by flowers and the words 'Honey!' with vibrant colors and playful elements.
Niah Briffa Caddoo
A colorful drawing depicting a bee near a honeycomb, set against a blue sky and featuring a Maltese flag on a hill.
Alessia Farrugia Schembri

Past Initiatives with HSBC Malta Foundation

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