This is a story about a third-grade classroom in Galt, Calif., that loves honey bees.

It's also a story about a beekeeper named Brian Fishback of Wilton who eagerly taught them to love bees.

Fishback, a former volunteer at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at the University of California, Davis, and a past president of the Sacramento Area Beekeepers' Association, delights in teaching beekeeping classes and providing bee presentations at schools and public events.

One such recipient: Beth Bartkowski's third graders at Galt's Lake Canyon Elementary School.

“My class (Room 12) has been learning about honey bees since October,” she said. “We have turned our classroom into a ‘Beetopia.' We have done many fabulous activities. Thanks to Brian, we have a hive on campus right now! I am hoping to start a beekeeping club at some point with Brian.”

“My students are so invested in bees!” Bartkowski enthused today. “Brian has been in our room for the past two days sharing his wealth of knowledge. I literally fell in love with bees today when we went outside and opened up the hive! I have an autistic student who has been very apprehensive around the hive. But an amazing thing happened today...we spotted a baby bee starting to make its way out. We watched in awe and cheered her on until sje fully emerged. My autistic student literally had her face inches away with bees all around and was cheering!”

That's the kind of response that beekeepers love.

The class is now trying to “bee part of the solution" by seeking grant funds for a pollinator garden, a virtual "outdoor classroom."  Bartkowski and her students submitted their plans for a Raley's Research Grant in keeping with the  grocery chain's Earth Day celebration (“Healthier Planet, Healthier You”). First prize is $10,000. Now they are seeking votes on the Raley's website to help them make their bee-lievable dream a reality.

As of today, they're in ninth place and about 300 votes behind first place. The contest ends May 16. The 10 nominations with the most votes will be eligible to receive a Raley's Research Grant up to $10,000.

How will the money be used if they should win?

Here's what they posted on the web: “Our school just completed four amazing pollinator gardens: butterfly, bee, hummingbird, rock/succulent. This was started this year as a school wide Service Learning Project to create an awareness of the rapid decline in the bee population and to stimulate pollination. Units of study have been designed for each section. Now we would like to extend the gardens on the outer edges of our quad and create an ‘outdoor classroom.' We would like to plant more of our Native Californian pollinator plants and add outdoor tables, benches and umbrellas for outdoor learning. We would also like to build a gazebo in the center of our quad and partner with SMUD to install solar panels that will provide our gardens with solar fountains and running water. The students and parents have been passionate about this project and would like to be able to complete our vision. We would carry out this plan in mid-August when we return to school. We are hoping all schools will visit our gardens and outdoor classrooms.”

Here's how to cast a vote for their project. Access http://www.raleys.com/cfapps/reach/nomination.cfm?ideaid=3635400 and press the "vote" button. (And for more information, contact Beth Bartkowski at bbartkowski@galt.k12.ca.us)

As for Brian Fishback, seeing the youngsters love the bees flashed him back to 2008. “From the first moment I opened a hive and held a full frame of brood covered with bees, I was in utopia,” he recalled. “Everything came together. In my hand I held the essence of core family values.”

That same year, 2008, he and his wife Darla purchased a ranch in Wilton, renamed it BD Ranch and Apiary, and began pursuing a self-sustaining life.

The couple now has three young daughters. And yes, another generation of bee lovers.