Mullumbimby beekeeper launches bee board game after eight years of work

A MULLUMBIMBY beekeeper has launched a nature-inspired board game after eight years of designing, testing and refining the idea at home and with local families.

Beekeeper and Main Arm School parent Yari McGauley this week launched Forage on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.

McGauley is well known to many local families through his hands-on beekeeping sessions at Main Arm Primary School.

Those sessions introduced students to how hives work, how to handle frames and why bees play a critical role in the environment.

That same focus on curiosity, learning and hands-on engagement underpins the new board game.

Forage places players in charge of a beehive as it moves through the four seasons.

The game features wooden flowers, magnetic bees, a wandering bear and a shifting sun path to reflect the rhythms of a year in nature.

McGauley created the game in his shed and refined it with feedback from local families.

The project began as a Christmas activity with his children in 2017 before gradually evolving into a fully produced board game.

Every original component was handmade, including the bees that lift wooden flowers using magnets.

“It’s a celebration of how bees actually live,” McGauley said.

“People learn without realising they’re learning.”

“And because it’s tactile and playful, it’s great for families.”

The Kickstarter campaign is now live, giving the community the first chance to support the project and help fund the final production run.

BY CHARLIE GREEN