Bees for Development Newsletter – February 2019

Dear friend, Bees are already working hard in these early sunny days - is it the same in your area? Read on to see our beekeeping progress in Ghana and Uganda, details about our fabulous Bee Garden Party in June, and exciting news of two new opportunities to join our team here in Wales, and more... This month's photo

This month's featured beekeeper is Mr Getachew Gemta in Didu, Ethiopia. He is carrying one of the 250 log hives that he maintains throughout the forest. The bees are healthy and with abundant biodiversity, there is no shortage of honey. Forest beekeepers like Getachew earn their living from the forest and ensure its continued protection. No beekeepers, no forest!

Bees for Development Ghana – Lucy’s group

Michael (far right) was trained by BfD Ghana to become a Master Beekeeper and now teaches jobless young people to become beekeepers. With Michael’s help, Lucy (in yellow) and the other women in her beekeeping group, Agata, Vivian, Mary, Monica and Mercy started beekeeping last year. These two buckets of beautiful, rich cashew honey were harvested from two of Mercy’s four honey bee colonies last week. Vivian and Mary are planning to harvest their honey this week. Mercy explains: “We help each other when we harvest honey. It is the hardest, but best part of beekeeping – and the occasional sting is a small price to pay for this excellent harvest!” All the women in the group prioritise their children’s education as the first call on the income they earn from honey.

Elizabeth Nakuti from Mbale, Uganda You might remember Elizabeth from BfD's Power of Bees leaflet. Elizabeth's father, Peter said: "I earn money from catching swarms and selling bees, making and selling bee hives. I am proud when I see all my three children going to school every day because of bees." Last month we heard that Peter and family are doing very well, and that Elizabeth and her siblings are all now in secondary school. The whole family reads Bees for Development Journal and have even helped the school to establish an apiary.

Children of the primary school in Mbale, Uganda have turned the local honey workshop into a beekeeping library. They go there to read Bees for Development Journals and learn about bees.

Reaching thousands of beekeepers in hard-to-reach parts of the world

Bees for Development Journal is our quarterly magazine with readers in over 130 countries. A wonderful source of information about apiculture worldwide, it brings unique news and views. The Journal gives practical advice on beekeeping techniques, events and training programmes, and reports from projects and associations worldwide. You can help young readers in remote places by sponsoring a BfD Journal subscription!

Marlborough House is a Royal Place and International Head Quarters of The

Commonwealth. The gardens belong to HM The Queen. Our fabulous Bee Garden Party takes place in the gardens of Marlborough House in Pall Mall in the heart of London on Wednesday June 12. Hosted by our charity’s great beekeeping Patrons, Martha Kearney and Bill Turnbull, the Bee Garden Party is a wonderful summer evening celebration of bees, and this year with a VVIP beekeeper in attendance! New this time will be an abundance of Bee Art from famous artists and celebrities. At the Bee Garden Party there will be bee lovers from all walks of life, with many famous faces joining in the fun to raise funds for our work. Guests enjoy abundant sparkling wines and gin fizz, with bee-pollinated food, accentuating the importance of pollination and the reliance of world food security on hard working insects. Don’t miss this most glittering event in the bee calendar! We warmly invite you to come along and help to make a difference for bees here and worldwide. Early bird tickets are still available. Click here for more information

Two exciting vacancies at Bees for Development We are seeking two new additions to our team based in Monmouth: a Project Manager and a Communications Manager. Click here for more information.

Apimondia Montreal Abstract deadline The Apimondia Congress takes place in Montréal 8-12 September. It is the event for everyone in the bee world - scientists and practitioners, that takes place every two years. Four days of conference, workshops and meeting interesting people from all over the world. If you would like to give a presentation at this event, you must submit a summary before the deadline of March 1 2019. Click here for more information.

Thank you Crafty Ladies!

The Crafty Ladies are six retired teachers who

meet in Hereford to chat, enjoy each other's company and share a meal, as well as learn new

craft skills and produce items to sell for charity. Each year, they select one local and one international charity to support by selling their craft

work. Bees for Development was last year's International Charity of choice. Bees for Development warmly thank The Crafty Ladies for their kind work and dedication, and for raising more than £2,000 to support our work!

The BfD Bee House Honey bee colonies nest naturally in tree cavities, yet suitable hollow trees are increasingly rare in

our landscape. Therefore honey bees are forced to nest in chimneys and roof spaces where they are not always welcome. The BfD Bee House is

specially designed in line with Professor Tom Seeley's specifications for the ideal cavity sought

by bees. The BfD Bee House enables you to help to maintain the honey bee population, ensure local

gardens are well pollinated, and enjoy seeing bees at work. The BfD Bee House is made from British

cedar by EH Thorne Ltd, and will be delivered to you, with all of the £95 cost donated to Bees for Development. No need to be a beekeeper! Buy now on our webshop

Visit our unique shop at 1 Agincourt street, Monmouth, Wales. Follow the Monmouth Bee Shop on Facebook

2019 Dates Ahead To enquire or book go to our online store or call us on 01600 714848.

Event Date Location in UK Straw Skep Weaving Course with Chris Park

9 March 2019 Ross on Wye

Willow Skep Weaving Course with Chris Park

10 March 2019 Ross on Wye

Sustainable Beekeeping Course with BfD Team

6-7 April 2019 Forest of Dean

Monmouth Bee Festival 19 May 2019 Monmouth Bee Garden Party 12 June 2019 London Straw Skep Making Course with Chris Park

15 June 2019 Ross on Wye

Willow Skep Weaving Course with Chris Park

29 June 2019 Ross on Wye

Sustainable Beekeeping Course with BfD Team

12-13 October 2019 Forest of Dean

See you next month! Thanks for reading our Newsletter.

Do keep in touch. We are a small charity and like to make friends. 01600 714848

Bees for Development

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