Transcript Beekeeping Project

Beekeeping Project
Jane Bayley, Director
Centre Environnemental et Culturel,
Taroudant
Jane Bayley
Centre Environnemental et Culturel
Taroudant
for the conservation of rural economies and society as well as the
environment upon which bees and humans depend
CETAM researchers International Year of Biodiversity 2010
Association Albisher Yellow Saharan Bee Training 12/10 -2/11
Regional meeting at CECU to identify differing needs of
each group and potential for mutual support 5/11
Training in Tata area Regional Association of beekeepers
Fundraising 12/10 onwards
Taroudant Cooperative project with CECU begins 5/11
Training manuals 7/11
Establish needs 5/11 onwards
Hive Management training 11/11
Supply equipment
Candlemaking and marketing workshop 1/12
Lip balm workshop Graphic Design Packaging Setting up of Busy Bee Centre 3-4/12
Workshops with experts and support to
• manage modern hives and diseases
• making new products - lip balm, beeswax candles, amalou,
comb honey
• improve health and safety standards (what to do in case of
stings, advice on use of products to clients)
• produce better packaging (hygienic and well labelled) with
eye-catching presentation
• develop a professional image - logo, labels, business cards
•new sales outlets –their new
shop/visitor centre, our guest house,
Atlas Kasbah
•learn from posters, manuals such as
Bee Unit Manual in French/English
and a small library including relevant
books, posters and pictorial
beekeeping manuals
A wide variety of individuals are involved possessing skills in:
language, computing, beekeeping, small businesses,
farming, geography, biology, ecology, tourism and
sustainability - the Moroccan team have all the potential
needed to sustain progress in the long term..
• Education - disease control & modern equipment to improve profitability
• Manuals enable them to build their own equipment cheaply
• Survive droughts – queens of Saharan Yellow Bees to be introduced
• Better forage - the wild & cultivated plants bees feed on each month
• Attract a wider clientele - quality and range of products, labelling and packaging
• New outlets through networking, business cards, web site, the “Busy Bee” Centre
• Selling to a variety of markets - local people, tourists and further afield
 Involve men, women and children of all ages (in
communities associated with the cooperative, from local
schools and tourists)
 Education through displays, workshops, sampling of bee
products, books and talks leading to respect for and
fascination with bees and the environment , a desire to keep
bees, an understanding of the huge benefits of bee products
to health and financial support of the project.
 Promote pride in achievements and in local environment-
from the “Busy Bee” Centre there are views of the Sous
Valley, Freyja kasbah & Anti-Atlas Mts.
New additions at the “Busy Bee” Centre
 observation hive and demonstration hives to teach both for local people and
tourists
 processing and packing for the cooperative
 quality of the tourist experience and the sense of pride of the beekeepers in
their achievements will grow as it develops
Expand portfolio, marketing and sales
local outlets, regional craft fairs and expositions.
develop high quality new products such as special honeys (e.g. carob, caper
and argan), hand carved honey servers made from local wood and skin creams
Continue
collaborations, training, technical and financial support as required, with the
aim of the coop being increasingly independent
Ongoing financial and technical support
will be provided through ecologist Said Ahmoume, CECU’s multilingual chief
guide, through weekly visits with clients. Jane Bayley and the training team in
the UK - available via the internet as well as occasional visits.
The Environment & Wildlife
Members of the coop want to plant “trees for bees” in the local town and
farmland, protect gazelles…………………..
Morocco has the potential to produce a great deal more honey
(latest statistics obtainable – only 28% of Egyptian production)
The drier areas in the south have huge potential for beekeeping:
1. many plants in otherwise barren areas provide excellent
nectar for bees e.g. asphodel .
2. limited alternative livelihoods
3. there is a predominance of women – men emigrate
Further training on the endangered Yellow Saharan Bee by the
Association Albisher or others trained by them supported by the
government’s “Maroc Vert” programme
Climatic and agricultural change are likely to
provide more challenges which the Yellow Bee and
the growth of beekeeping will be well placed to
counteract.
Bees have the potential to enthuse humans to
support them, not just for their honey but for their
critical role in the workings of ecosystems and
human society which depends on them.
Statistics supplied on separate Word document
In the UK
Interest generated amongst a group of school
children in the UK, tourists
Awareness re publicity e.g. recent article in “The
Welsh Beekeeper”, newspapers etc.
In Morocco
Confidence and enthusiasm of beekeepers
Membership of Cooperative
Productivity of hives
New Products
Sales
Your handcrafted beeswax candle from Atlas Al Kabir Cooperative
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Thank you for supporting us which helps us support bees and the environment. We hope that you will enjoy our products.
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Beeswax candles are environmentally friendly – they produce a delicious aroma, produce no smoke or soot and they burn with a
bright flame similar to sunlight.
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We are glad you have chosen a beeswax candle instead of a paraffin wax candle which is toxic in several ways:
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1) Paraffin is an inexpensive sludge waste product of the petroleum industry that has been bleached then texturised with acrolyn, a known
carcinogenic product.
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2) Once burned it releases toxins that are known carcinogens such as benzene and toluene which are inhaled and linger in the areas they
are burned in.
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3) Soot from paraffin candles contains many of the same toxins found in diesel fuel. In summary, paraffin candles are as dangerous to the
lungs as second-hand cigarette smoke.
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General safety and burning tips for beeswax candles
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Light the wick from the base of the wick, where the wick comes out of the candle, to allow the beeswax to absorb into the wick.
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Keep the wick trimmed to 1/4". Proper trimming ensures that your beeswax candle will burn with a strong, bright, beautiful flame. It helps
to prevent the candle from smoking or dripping, which happens if the wick is too long. Trimming also removes any minute particles that
collect in the wick and could interrupt wax flow. Be careful not to trim the wick too short as it may drown in the wax pool resulting in a
low flame or making it difficult to relight.
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Keep candles away from flammable materials or overly crowded settings. Burn candles only in a draft-free environment to prevent any
dripping or smoking. Avoid handling the wick after it is cooled as it may break.
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