Vernon is an apiarist, who keeps bee hives as a hobby and is often called upon to help people with swarms.

The Rakinui students saw footage of Vernon capturing a swarm in Cass Bay.  They examined the honeycomb and learnt how the bees produced wax.  They were very absorbed in watching the process of the honey being extracted from the frames. The students asked a wide range of very pertinent and thoughtful questions which indicated the level of active listening and knowledge that they have already gained during this inquiry. They were fortunate of the opportunity to handle the honeycomb and, of course, the sampling of the fresh honey went down a treat. Some students remained behind and got to take away beeswax wrap that was made from the wax.