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Interested in keeping livestock like bees and chickens?
Yes! It's possible, and yes schools do this! However, adding livestock adds a new layer of considerations to the school garden. Here are some resources for those interested in adding some animals to the school garden.
Bees in the Garden
Bees in the Garden
Honeybees are fascinating social insects. A handful of schools across the district maintain educational bee hives. Because keeping bees requires specialized knowledge, one approach is to partner with a local beekeeper to maintain the hives on school grounds.
The Whole Kids Foundation offers bee grants to help schools find funding for hives.
Teaching resources about bees:
Teaching resources about bees:
Check out the following resources from the Bee Cause Project's resource library.
"Bee a Friend to Pollinators" This Lesson plan is focused on preparing a school campus for a new hive and assessing readiness. Good starting point!
Six Week Bee Unit and Teacher Guides
Compilation of k-12 STEM investigations for Observation Hives
Pollinator Partners Unit plan for grades 3-6
9-12 Pollinator Unit Plan. This resource is designed for high school, but may be adapted for middle school.
Chickens at School
Chickens at School
Raising chickens can be fun and rewarding.
Caring for animals requires careful consideration, an ongoing budget, and a plan for regular care during school, and on weekends and extended breaks.
Note, that all flocks in Baltimore City must be registered with the city and you must have completed a Facilities Enhancement Application.
Hatching and Keeping Chickens at Your School is our Baltimore City Schools guidance for important information on infrastructure, safety, and permissions. If you keep or would like to keep chickens at your school, please review first, and reach out to our team with questions.
Don't hesitate to be in touch for more information about raising chickens at school or to schedule a consultation for coop location and planning: farms@bcps.k12.md.us
Above: photos of the mobile chicken coop at Hamilton Elementary. This chicken coop is designed to fit over the raised beds when the beds are not in use. The chickens add fertility to the soil, while they forage for tasty insect treats in the garden bed. The coop's design and it's mobile nature make it rodent proof to keep critters out of the chicken feed.
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