Intro

The Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurant is a project designed to protect bees that are disappearing due to the climate crisis. Using CXP blocks, participants create small gardens and plant nectar-rich flowers, providing a special “restaurant” for bees to visit. It is important to understand this purpose before getting started.

※ CXP (Cellulose X-linked Polymer): An eco-friendly thermoplastic wood material made mainly from wood by-products, self-bonded cellulose, and developed as a substitute for plastic and synthetic wood.

Participants should be people who have gardening experience or an interest in bee conservation, and groups should consist of no more than 15 people. Since the project involves creating garden beds with CXP blocks and planting nectar plants in them, a suitable site such as a yard or open space is required.

The project can be run as a three-session program, but depending on educational conditions and participant circumstances, it can also be shortened to two sessions.

• Three-session program:

  • Session 1: Basic Education – Learn about the threats bees face from the climate crisis and the importance of nectar plants for their survival.

  • Session 2: Planning & Design – Form sub-teams within the group, assign roles, decide on a location for the mini garden, and carry out design activities.

  • Session 3: Practice & Sharing – Build the mini garden using eco-friendly CXP blocks and other tools, plant nectar flowers, and complete the “Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurant.” Finally, introduce the finished bee restaurant and share photos and reflections.
     

• Two-session (shortened) program:

  • Session 1: Combine basic education with planning & design.

  • Session 2: Combine practical building with sharing activities.

Things to confirm when forming a team:

• Number of participants

• Meeting place

• Availability of a space for creating the garden

• Educator’s teaching experience

• Gardening or bee conservation experience

• Preparation of tools

Let’s start the first activity.

Learning Content

Session 1 is the foundation stage. Through the class, participants learn about bees that are disappearing due to the climate crisis and the vital role nectar plants play in their survival.

Learning Plan

The sample learning plan provided on the resource page is intended as a guide to the flow of the lesson. Educators are free to adapt and reorganize the lecture content based on their audience.

Let’s get ready for the second activity.

<Session 2> Designing the Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurant

Check the site where the Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurant will be created (e.g., south-facing, with good drainage) and design a bee-friendly garden that fits the space. Through creativity and collaboration, participants shape the value and meaning of the Bee Restaurant.

When developing detailed designs, teams discuss plant placement, block arrangements, planting order, and plant labels, then coordinate team goals and design ideas.

For best results, CXP blocks should be placed on flat ground. They can be used on uneven ground, but in such cases, the block beds may break more easily.

A total of 350 CXP blocks are provided. Teams can decide how many to use either by agreement among team members or according to the project leader. The resource page provides the “Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurant Open Guide”, which includes photos of CXP blocks and sample bed designs.

The sample design photo attached here uses 9 blocks across × 5 blocks deep, built two layers high. Each bed holds two saplings, creating four Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurants in total.

The final design can be freely adapted by each organization and participant group depending on the size of the yard, playground, or available site.

Before moving to construction, check and prepare all tools and materials so the garden can be built safely and conveniently.

👉 Note: Among the provided CXP blocks, some have the project name and sponsor company logo laser-printed. Please place these blocks in a visible location.

Preparation Checklist

• Form small groups and assign roles

• Confirm tools and materials

• CXP blocks with “Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurant” + sponsor logo: 16 blocks

• CXP block size: 12 cm (W) × 6 cm (D) × 7.5 cm (H)
   

Provided Nectar Plants

• Saplings: Soapberry Tree, Chaste Tree / 1–2 years old / total 8 saplings

• Seeds: Sunflower, Perilla

Blooming Seasons of Provided Plants

• Soapberry Tree: June

• Chaste Tree: July–September

• Sunflower: July–September

• Perilla: September

⚠️ Planting caution:

Avoid planting after November. If the soil is frozen or too cold, sapling roots may fail to take hold or be damaged, and seeds may sprout poorly or fail completely. Snow and ice can also cause seeds to rot or wash away.

👉 For best results, plant in spring or early autumn.

Recommended Planting Seasons

• Soapberry Tree: Spring (March) & Autumn (late October–early November)

• Chaste Tree: Spring (March) & Autumn (early October)

• Sunflower: Spring (March–April) & Autumn (October–early November)

• Perilla: June

Welcome the bees

Create the Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurant with CXP Blocks

Plant nectar-rich saplings and seeds so that bees will visit, and expand their food sources by sowing nectar seeds around the garden bed. Check the blooming season of the planted species, take photos, and keep observation records.

Preparation

• Provide and check tools for each team (CXP blocks, nectar plants – saplings & seeds, gloves, trowels, watering cans, etc.)

How to Build the Garden Bed (Saplings)

1. Dig holes for the nectar saplings.

   • Depth: 10–20 cm deeper than the root length

   • Width: 2–3 times wider than the root spread
     👉 For small saplings (1–2 years old): usually 30–40 cm deep and 30–40 cm wide is enough.

2. Water the bottom and surrounding soil of the hole.
   👉 Be careful not to overwater—too much water makes the soil soggy and can rot the roots. Keep the soil moist, not drenched.

3. Place the sapling into the hole and cover well with soil.

4. Firmly press down the soil and water thoroughly.

5. Use CXP blocks to build a small garden around the sapling.

   • Plant 1–2 saplings and surround them with 2–3 layers of CXP blocks.

   • Write the garden’s name and tree’s name on 1–2 CXP blocks to use as labels.

   • With this method, you can create 4 Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurants. The size can be freely adapted depending on your available yard or playground space.

6. Regularly remove weeds and manage watering.
    

How to Build the Garden Bed (Seeds)

1. Broadcast the seeds.

   • Scatter seeds lightly and evenly, not clumped in one place.

   • Avoid planting too deep (difficult to sprout) or too shallow (seeds may blow away or be eaten by birds).

   • If planting near saplings, keep some distance—sapling shade can block sunlight and affect seed growth.

   • 👉 For sunflowers: plant seeds about 30 cm apart.
      

2. Cover lightly with soil.

   • Cover seeds with 0.5–1 cm of soil, then gently press down with your hand or foot so the seeds are in contact with the soil.
      

3. Watering.

   • At first, water thoroughly to keep soil moist.

   • Until germination, water about once a day (adjust depending on weather).
      

Basic Principle for Planting Seeds

• Cover with soil about 2–3 times the size of the seed.

• Too shallow → seeds may wash away by wind, rain, or birds.

Too deep → germination will be difficult.

Spread the Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurant.

Share your completed Mini Wing Wing Bee Restaurant activities on social media, along with photos and reflections, to spread the experience at home, in schools, and throughout the community.

Help raise awareness about the importance of protecting bees and promote the opening of more Wing Wing Bee Restaurants!