Jane Bayley

Centre Environnemental et Culturel

Taroudant

Beekeeping Project

Beekeeping Project

Jane Bayley, DirectorCentre Environnemental et

Culturel, Taroudant

for the conservation of rural economies and society as well as the environment upon which bees and humans

depend

Achievements through Fundraising and Exchanging Ideas and Knowledge

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

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

Fundraising 12/10 onwards

Lip balm workshop Graphic Design Packaging Setting up of Busy Bee Centre 3-4/12

Achievements through

Learning New SkillsWorkshops 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/Englishand a small library including relevant books, posters and pictorial beekeeping manuals

Achievements: Marketing of Artisanal Products

Packaging, Jar Labels, Tamper proof seals, Business Card and Logo

Achievements through

Involving People with a Variety of SkillsA 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..

Promoting Sustainability: Economic factors • 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.

Promoting Sustainability: Social Factors

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 & WildlifeMembers of the coop want to plant “trees for bees” in the local town and farmland, protect gazelles…………………..

Plans for the Future

Replication of the Project 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 livelihoods3. 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.

Measuring the Impact of the Project

Statistics supplied on separate Word document

In the UKInterest generated amongst a group of school children in the UK, touristsAwareness re publicity e.g. recent article in “The Welsh Beekeeper”, newspapers etc.

In MoroccoConfidence and enthusiasm of beekeepersMembership of CooperativeProductivity of hivesNew ProductsSales

Your handcrafted beeswax candle from Atlas Al Kabir Cooperative

Thank you for supporting us which helps us support bees and the environment. We hope that you will enjoy our products.  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.   We are glad you have chosen a beeswax candle instead of a paraffin wax candle which is toxic in several ways: 1) Paraffin is an inexpensive sludge waste product of the petroleum industry that has been bleached then texturised with acrolyn, a known carcinogenic product. 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. 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.   General safety and burning tips for beeswax candles 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. 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.

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.

               

Cooperative ATLAS AL KABIR for the beekeeping and the protection of the environment C.R.Sidi Dahmane, Douar Oulad Aarfa Tel: 06 70 01 03 79 Email: Email: atlascooperative@gmail.com

Sample Educational Sheet: The benefits of beeswax candles and how to use them