Learning with bees: a school-based citizen science project on pollinators in rural Colombia

This study examined how a school garden in Vijes, Colombia, functions as a habitat for pollinators and a space for experiential education. Primary school students recorded 208 floral visits in four plots (ornamental, medicinal, fruit, and crop) in three weeks, with limited observation time. Activity was dominated by Tetragonisca angustula (49%) Apis mellifera (36%). Pollinators mainly visited the ornamental plot, particularly Zinnia peruviana, and Cucurbita maxima in the crop plot. Participation in monitoring fostered ecological awareness, teamwork, and biodiversity appreciation. The project shows how citizen science approaches can transform school gardens into living laboratories for biodiversity conservation and sustainability education.