Beekeeping can be more than just honey; it’s about sustainability, livelihoods, and protecting ecosystems.
Taking the First Steps Towards Sustainable Beekeeping
Our Bee A Keeper project started in Endane with a simple goal – to promote sustainable beekeeping as an alternative to forest honey collection, a practice that often leads to habitat destruction. With the aim of conserving the Sri Lankan bee population, the effort includes research activities and creation of a replicable livelihood model for people. By providing training and resources, we have helped local communities shift to beekeeping boxes, reducing their dependence on cutting down trees to harvest honey.
In January 2021, work on the Project Hub began at the Endane Field Station. 10 bee boxes were distributed. Three bee boxes sustained to cottage level industry. Most of the colonies are maintained by community members, who are supervised and trained by our Team at Endane.
Introducing Beekeeping to the Veddah Community
A few months ago, our journey expanded eastward, where we met a group from the indigenous Veddah community. For generations, they have relied on collecting wild honey from forests, a way of life now threatened by deforestation.
“Deforestation is reducing honey production and threatening our livelihood”, says Velayutham, Leader of the Indigenous Community in the Eastern Province.
Recognizing the challenges they face, we introduced them to the fundamentals of sustainable beekeeping, provided bee boxes and training in sustainable beekeeping.
A Sustainable Alternative to Forest Honey Collection
Unlike wild honey extraction, sustainable beekeeping offers a safer environment for bees while ensuring a stable source of income for the community; Bee boxes allow honey harvesting without destroying natural hives, promotes responsible harvesting as beekeepers could monitor hive health and only extract surplus honey, preventing colony collapse, and contributes to stable ecosystems for wild bee populations.
Bees Thriving in Urban and Rural Spaces
Beyond Endane and the East, our beekeeping boxes are installed in Moratuwa, Nawalapitiya, and almost all our centre locations. For greater efficacy, the focus areas of the ‘Bee A Keeper’ programme have been separated into research, project, educational, farming, mangrove, and communal hubs.
It’s fascinating how bees can thrive even in urban settings. At Moratuwa, which serves as an educational hub for the project, we’ve introduced an Advanced Beekeeping Training Programme, providing undergraduate students and enthusiasts with in-depth knowledge of beekeeping. Meanwhile, the One Earth Climate Change Centre at our Queensberry Estate, Nawalapitiya, has been the research hub of the project since June 2020. As the earliest center involved, it has been instrumental in studying key aspects of honeybee behaviour.
Through education and research, we continue to bridge the gap between traditional beekeeping and scientific advancements.
With each step, Bee A Keeper continues to grow, creating a future where beekeeping sustains both nature and livelihoods.
