InQ.IFBA Portal da Inovação & Qualidade
Honey has been used for thousands of years as an energy source, on disease prevention and as food, being the oldest sweetener used by man. Its composition is made of simple sugars such as fructose and glucose, in addition to water, minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, among others) and vitamins of complexes B, C, D and E.
The color, aroma, taste, viscosity and functional properties of honey are related to the source of nectar that originated it and the species of bee that produced it.
Honey is not only important for one’s health, its production is also beneficial for the environment. In opposition to other activities, for the creation of bees for honey production, it is not necessary to deforest the region, it is enough to preserve native plants, so that the bees find a favorable environment for the production of honey, propolis and royal jelly. In addition, bees are responsible for 80% of pollination worldwide.
Therefore, it is necessary to insert these themes in early childhood education, so that children realize early on the importance of bees and the production of honey for health and the environment. An example of this interaction between children and the environment is the work carried out in the environmental module of Primeiros Passos Early Childhood Education Center, which has a meliponary, that counts with a creation of stingless bees and is used so that students can see in practice how honey production works and the importance of bees.
The director of the institution, Mrs. Conceição de Barros, describes the importance of the Environmental Module as “our green space allows us to make the children more free. Primeiros Passos School (photos provided by the School) implanted a living space in the middle of the urban area, teaching children to feel the nature, to see a flower today, then that flower transformed into fruit, thus promoting children’s interaction with nature. When they taste the honey that they saw the little bee producing, they feel part of nature. This sense of belonging fills children with joy and pleasure. ”
It is, therefore, noteworthy the importance that the whole context involving the production of honey has for the environment and for the development of environmental education in early childhood education.
