By Caitlyn Larkin
What started off as a passion for gardening and native wildlife has led Alex Griffiths down the road of native bee education, healing and the Little Bees Secret Garden.
Native bees crept into Alex’s life quietly, but she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about them ever since.
“I discovered [native bees] and then decided that the community garden needed some, so I was very lucky to apply for a grant through the RSL at Nerang.”
Alex and her two home-schooled sons embarked to learn about native bees together and it was then that she realised there were limited educational resources for children about the small insects.
“It really blew me away that Australian children are not learning about native bees.”
“It all kind of evolved from creating my own resources for my kids to becoming absolutely addicted myself.”
Around the same time Alex’s marriage ended, triggering her to look for a way to support herself and her two kids.
“I had no idea what I was going to do, because I had previously left my dream job at the Queensland Police to raise my kids.”
The idea to open Little Bee’s Secret Garden was born from needing a source of income, a place to heal, and Alex’s love of native bees.
Alexandra Griffiths. Photo by Katherine O’Brien.
“It was the only thing that kept me upright at times … my lifeline.”
Fast-forward three years and Alex believes that the time has come for her to close this chapter of her life and move on to a new one.
“I have a lot of opportunities rolling in at the moment, lots of people wanting to work with me so that’s sort of where I want to take the next steps.”
Alex has recently taken on the role of secretary at the Australian Native Beekeepers Association, and is expanding her presentations and workshops, as well as her online blog.
“When I get other people equally as excited about bees I think, my job here is done, I have got someone else addicted.”
“That’s what I am here to do.”
