Beekeeping was but a distant memory at UCD and had not been practised on campus for many years. But in 2014, Dr Brian Tobin and his team at the UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science and Rosemount Environmental Research Station set out to change that. They established the "Bringing Bees Back to Belfield" project and set up an apiary next to the Irish heritage apple orchard at Rosemount, on the UCD campus. Today, thanks to a collaborative effort by UCD students and staff working with other groups on campus, Belfield honey bees contribute to the pollination of the Rosemount Orchard and countless parklands and gardens close by. The Rosemount Apiary also facilitates research into pollination ecology and gives students valuable hands-on experience in apiculture.
From the Judges
Excuse us while we fawn over every component of this well-developed, well-designed entry from University College Dublin. Please read Elizabeth Duffy's submission form because there is so much to learn from her and her team. For starters, the concept behind Rosemount Honey is brilliant: the honey has a direct link to the school past and present—tying in directly to the current "Bringing Bees Back to Belfield" project. The bees are raised on campus under the auspices of staff, faculty, and students. The honey is a perfect representation of the work and research happening in the important areas of agricultural and environmental science.
