Rockwall, TX (April 10, 2024) – April and her husband, Ryan, moved to Rockwall 10 years ago and found 14 acres of pasture land and forest canopy hidden down an old road. The 1970’s homestead had gone into foreclosure, but something about the tree tunnel that led to the farm spoke to the Smiths. The overgrown fields swayed with the winds, almost begging to welcome the laughs of small children once more.
Having grown up in a farm town in West Texas, April appreciated the work ethic she witnessed early in life as well as the empathy she personally experienced working with animals. Those were some of the same goals she and Ryan had for their family.
They named the farm, Stinky Bee Farm, a combination of their son’s names and giving credit to the honeybees they host. With fishing ponds, livestock and pets of all kinds, and room to roam life is good.
After spending her professional life teaching in Garland and Mesquite ISD, April decided six years ago she wanted to home school her two boys. Then just last year, Stinky Bee Outdoor School opened based on the home school curriculum she incorporated with their children – and the value April sees in experiencing life outdoors.
Stinky Bee classes began with just a few of the young friends they knew. Today, the class is full, with twenty students ages 7-12 visiting for four hours each Wednesday to learn more about outdoor life than they might ever experience. To help with the increased class sizes and demand, Stinky Bee added another certified teacher, and a licensed animal/wildlife rehabber who work with April to give children a farm and forest experience.
Offering 4, 6, 8, and 12 week sessions, students study hands-on science, history, Latin, geography and math. Classes include artistic interests such as nature journaling, and lessons in basic woodworking, first aid, foraging, survival skills, campfire culinary and animal husbandry!
But there is more to Stinky Bee than just learning about the outdoors. Character traits are woven into each lesson. Using the STINKY acronym, they talk about self-control, being trustworthy, intelligent, nice to nature, and kind, to finally finding your why in life.
Character traits and academics lead to many life skills students learn. Completing chores about the barn earns “bee bucks”. Students use their bucks to purchase small items in the Stinky Store or save up to ride the horses, certainly helping them learn the value of money and working for something you desire.
Special events and activities are incorporated to enhance learning and show how just because life may have had challenges, that does not mean that it cannot become filled with great value and purpose. A canine search and rescue group, whose purpose was to help track lost children, led demonstrations showing how the dogs learned search and rescue skills. Guest speakers to show the kids everything from ball pythons to alpacas! By the way, all the animals on the farm have been donated to live out their lives there and are doing so with a purpose. Even one of Rockwall’s own Sheriff’s Posse horses is retired at Stinky Bee!
Stinky Bee Farm is so passionate about their mission that they provide onsite location training for therapists with the International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy – the only location in the South to do so!
April truly feels the outdoor school is her calling in life. The children that have become “Little Stinkers” grow in their resilience, empathy, gross motor skills, and appreciation of the nature and world around us.
Learn more about Stinky Bee Farm and the values of outdoor experiential learning at https://www.stinkybeefarm.org/outdoor-school
Blue Ribbon News Staff Report. Photos courtesy of Stinky Bee Farm.
Stinky Bee Farm in North Rockwall provides outdoor learning experiences to young students added by Melanie M on
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