Beck Isle Museum in Pickering will be joining hundreds of other museums across the country to celebrate Earth Day on 22 April as part of The Wild Escape Project.

The project has been inspired by the museum’s beekeeping collection which was explored by pupils from  the town's St Joseph’s RC Primary School.

Youngsters discovered that there are over 250 different bee species in the UK and that only 24 of those are bumble bees.

Whilst at Beck Isle pupils had the opportunity to explore the museum looking for all the different ways that we’ve used bee products through history. They planted seeds to create more pollinator friendly plants, learnt about honeybees and bumblebees and sampled different types of honey.

Pupils returned to school full of enthusiasm for bees and for helping the museum spread the word about how amazing they are. Working with local artists Rosie Barrett and Serena Partridge the pupils recreated all 24 bumblebees using watercolours and made a beautiful selection of felted flowers for them to pollinate.

Michala Pearson, Engagement and Operations Manager at the museum, said: ‘I was amazed at the level of detail pupils put into creating each bumblebee and am delighted that we now have these wonderful bees to share with our visitors’.

The pupil’s artwork is now on display at the museum and will form part of a fun and challenging family trail over the Easter holidays. Visitors can also look forward to bee related craft activities, a beekeeping display and can even try to spot some real bees in the new bee garden.

All this activity will culminate in a full day of events across Pickering on Earth Day (22 April). The museum will be offering bumblebee inspired printing workshops and an opportunity to learn about bee friendly plants, with seeds to take away to create a bee garden. They’ll also be the chance to talk to a beekeeper, learn how traditional bee skeps are made and try some tricky bee related challenges.

The town will be buzzing with handmade bees and there will be a prize of a giant chocolate bee donated by Birdgate Chocolatiers for the person who guesses the correct number of bees on display.

The Memorial Hall will be holding an eco-fair, giving people the chance to talk to local and national environmental groups about ways to help wildlife and live more sustainably. The Black Swan will also be joining in the days events by hosting a repair café where residents will be able to get their repairs done for free.

The Wild Escape is made possible by lead support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants, with additional support from Art Fund and a group of generous individuals and trusts.

Further information on museum activities can be found at www.beckislemuseum.org.uk or by contacting Michala Pearson opsmanager@beckislemuseum.org.uk