U:Bee Online Blog

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Understanding Climate Change

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Climate change has been connected with damaging weather events such as more frequent and more intense hurricanes, floods, downpours, and winter storms. Together with expanding ocean waters due to rising temperatures melting polar ice, the resulting rise in sea level has begun to damage coastlines as a result of increased flooding and erosion. The cause of current climate change is largely human activity, like burning fossil fuels, like natural gas, oil, and coal. Burning these materials releases what are called greenhouse gases into Earth’s atmosphere. There, these gases trap heat from the sun’s rays inside the atmosphere causing Earth’s average temperature to rise.

Here are some things you can do
-Talk to your family and friends about climate change and why it matters
-Write letters or emails to your elected officials asking them to support policies that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
-Support businesses and organizations working to combat climate change
-Reduce your own carbon footprint by doing things like carpooling, recycling, composting, make positive buying decisions – choose less plastic packaging and be conscious of how and where things are made, and save energy at home.

Working together to make a difference
Climate change is a huge problem but it’s one we can solve if we all work together. Every little bit helps when it comes to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Talk to your friends and family about what you can do to help and take action yourself by supporting businesses working towards solutions and making small changes in your own life. Together we can make a difference!

Steve Irwin – The Crocodile Hunter

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The world lost Steve Irwin in 2006, but his memory and legacy live on. Steve was an Australian television personality, conservationist, and zookeeper who achieved international fame thanks to his outgoing personality and passion for wildlife. He was often referred to as the “Crocodile Hunter,” and he used his platform to educate others about the importance of conservation. Let’s take a closer look at the life of Steve Irwin and what made him so special

Steve Irwin was born in 1962 in Essendon, Victoria, Australia. His parents owned a reptile park, and Steve grew up around all sorts of animals. He began catching crocodiles at just nine years old, and by the time he was a teenager, he was helping his father run the family business. In 1991, Steve met Terri Raines, an American naturalist who would later become his wife. The two married in 1992 and went on to have two children together, Bindi and Robert

Crikey! It’s Steve Irwin

In 1996, Steve and Terri launched their own television series called “The Crocodile Hunter.” The show was an instant hit, and it made Steve Irwin a household name. He became known for his signature catchphrase “Crikey!” as well as his fearless approach to handling dangerous animals. In addition to entertaining viewers, Steve used his platform to raise awareness about the importance of conservation. He was passionate about protecting animals and their habitats, and he worked tirelessly to promote environmental causes

Tragically, Steve Irwin died in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a documentary off the coast of Australia. He was only 44 years old. His death sent shockwaves around the world, and he was mourned by fans from all corners of the globe. In 2007, Terri Irwin founded the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Queensland in honour of her late husband’s memory. The reserve is home to over 10,000 crocodiles and supports numerous other wildlife species

Steve Irwin was a one-of-a-kind individual whose passion for wildlife knew no bounds. He dedicated his life to conservation and spent countless hours working to protect animals and their habitats. Though he is no longer with us, his memory lives on through his family, friends, fans, and the many individuals who are inspired by his work every day.

If you’re ever lucky enough to visit Australia – Australia Zoo is a must!

Bees! Helping Them Before It’s Too Late

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What did you eat this week? Breakfast-jam on your toast? Lunch an apple after your cheese and tomato sandwich? Dinner – pasta with a tomato sauce? Well, you needed bees to be part of all of this!   When most people think about bees, they just think about the honey they produce but actually they’re behind much of the food we eat, including most fruit and vegetables. Bees are crucial to our economy –the pollinate our crops and  without them it would cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to use other methods of crop growing.  A world without our bees would be a very different place.

There are 267 different species of bees in the UK but many species of bees are declining, with two bumblebee species known to be extinct. 

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Completing Your DofE Skills Section During the School Closure

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The Coronavirus COVID-19 has affected every part of all our daily lives. We remember the first headlines a few months ago and it seemed to be something that was affecting other countries. As time went on the stories were filling more and more newsfeeds and the virus seemed to be spreading.

We’re not going to say that’s is easy to carry on with normal life, it’s not!  Everything has changed, and even more so since we heard that we are now under tighter levels of lockdown here in the UK.

The schools are closed, colleges and groups can no longer open their doors and we are all looking at a period of ‘social isolation’ in our homes. The more we follow the rules, the slower the virus will spread and the sooner we can all get back to normal life. We are helping the NHS workers who are doing everything they can to help the people with the virus.   

We know that the story is really big and everything is the country has changed and sometimes we don’t feel able to admit that as individuals we are disappointed that things we had planned for, or enjoy doing have now changed or been cancelled.  When you see NHS workers, delivery drivers, supermarket workers, and food producers working so hard to help the country, it can feel selfish to complain about a concert you were looking forward to, which has now been postponed.  Maybe you were looking forward to a holiday with your family at Easter and it has been moved to later in the year?  Or maybe you were looking forward to your DofE expedition or completing one of your sections?   

It’s fine to admit you’re disappointed about plans being cancelled or changed. It’s a normal reaction. Everything will get back to normal in the near future and you will be able to do all the things you had planned.
Before we get to that point in the future, we have to do everything we can to keep active, healthy and busy. 


Here at U:Bee Online, we want to help you keep busy and also help you complete one of the sections of your Award!  The Skills Section.  When you are back at school or college, you will be someway to completing your Award.


We’ve launched a special 25% discount voucher for the rest of this academic year to help more people complete their skills section.

Use schoolclosure25 at the checkout.

Also, we will be launching regular mini-courses which are free for you to use. They are also free for anyone to enjoy, even if they are not completing their DofE.  Please tell all your friends to enroll free of charge for a U:Bee Learners Account and they will be able to enjoy the courses as well.


You can already read the COVID-19 Course we have published which gives you all the facts about the Coronavirus COVID-19 and also lots of reasons why you should stay positive and know that this will pass.


If you have any questions, we’re available on the LiveChat facility on www.ubee.org.uk
Look forward to hearing from you!

U:Bee Online is a licensed AAP (Approved Activity Provider) for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.  Achieve your Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award by completing the Volunteering, Physical, Expedition and Skills Section of your DofE Programme.    

Looking for DofE skills section activities?  Choose one of the U:Bee Online DofE skills section ideas, to complete your 3 month or 6 month skills section, for your Bronze Award or Silver Award and receive your Certificate and Assessor’s Report. 

Positive Mental Attitude Makes For Better Results – it’s a Fact!

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What will give you a positive mental attitude? Do you think you could be positive if you believed there is no such thing as failing? Developing study techniques that work really requires you to have some good knowledge about the past techniques that didn’t work for them and how those might be eliminated or changed to be more productive. For instance, if the student has difficulty with time management skills then developing techniques and strategies that manage their time and efforts effectively will only improve the amount of information they are able to retain.

[Read more…] about Positive Mental Attitude Makes For Better Results – it’s a Fact!