Celebrating the Maltese Honey Bee at De La Salle College Summer School

De La Salle College came alive with the buzz of learning and music during a special Summer School activity dedicated to Malta’s endemic honey bee, Apis mellifera ruttneri. The event, coordinated by Caroline Grech Mallia, Deputy Head of the Junior School, was held as part of the outreach initiative In-Naħla Katerina on the Move, which extends the educational project Discovering the Maltese Honey Bee: Education Through Songs and Rhymes. The aim was to foster a love for nature and raise awareness about local pollinators through music, art, and hands-on learning.

The morning was divided into two sessions tailored to different age groups, from Kindergarten through to Year 6.

For Years 4 to 6, Christabelle Scerri, the singer of the educational song Festin Għad-Dakkara, led an engaging and informative session. Pupils began by watching an educational video entitled Unique Insect, produced by the Foundation last year, which introduces the Maltese Honey Bee and explains its essential role in our ecosystem. Christabelle then delivered a lively performance of Festin għad-Dakkara, which had students clapping and singing along. The session concluded with a karaoke version of the song, giving pupils the chance to actively participate and celebrate what they had just learned.

A group of children sitting on the floor, attentively watching a presentation about bees on a large screen, led by a speaker in a colorful outfit.

A teacher engages a group of children during a summer school session focused on the Maltese honey bee, with a colorful presentation on a screen.

At the same time, a parallel session was organised for students from Kindergarten to Year 3. This was led by Andrew Vella, assisted by fellow Foundation volunteer Elisa Garroni, with additional support from Louise Agius, an employee from the HSBC Malta Foundation. The younger students enjoyed a simplified presentation about the Maltese Honey Bee, followed by a drawing activity featuring In-Naħla Katerina, the beloved bee mascot . The session wrapped up with a singalong of In-Naħla Katerina, a cheerful and age-appropriate tune that had the children fully engaged.

As a special keepsake, all students received a beautifully illustrated postcard celebrating the Maltese Honey Bee, jointly issued with the HSBC Malta Foundation. This postcard incorporates Maltese elements such as the white and red colours of the national flag and a detail from the Maltese Cross. The front illustration features Apis mellifera ruttneri on a flower of the indigenous Mediterranean Thistle (Galactites tomentosa). On the reverse, an artwork by local artist Karl Farrugia showcases the bee on a Sulla flower (Hedysarum coronarium), a vibrant forage plant commonly found in the Maltese countryside.

A hand holding a postcard featuring a Maltese honey bee on a white flower, with the text 'In-Nahla Maltija' and 'Inizjattiva Insett Nazzjonali' displayed on the design.

A person holding a beautifully illustrated postcard featuring a honey bee on a pink flower, with branding from the HSBC Malta Foundation.

The event was met with great enthusiasm and curiosity by both students and staff. Through its creative, multisensory approach, In-Naħla Katerina on the Move continues to inspire the next generation to appreciate and protect Malta’s unique biodiversity, one bee, one flower, and one smile at a time.

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