In celebration of World Bee Day, NESFAS hosted two key events aimed at highlighting the vital role of bees and traditional ecological knowledge in biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods.
The celebrations included a beekeepers’ co-learning workshop and an agrobiodiversity (ABD) walk in Laitlyndop, East Khasi Hills, held yesterday and today respectively.
Guided by the 2025 World Bee Day theme, ‘Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all’, the programmes served as platforms for knowledge exchange, intergenerational learning and celebration of indigenous wisdom, a press release stated today.
The workshop brought together beekeepers from 14 communities across Ri-Bhoi and East Khasi Hills to exchange ideas, engage in meaningful discussions on managing beekeeping practices and highlighted the vital roles that bees play in sustaining ecosystems and supporting livelihoods.
“Bees act as early warning systems, reminding us of the importance of living in harmony with nature. Their survival depends on how we care for and respect the land,” Gratia E Dkhar, Senior Associate at NESFAS, said.
She added that each variety of honey shared during the workshop tells a story of pollination, biodiversity and community, underlining that beekeeping is not merely a livelihood, but a meaningful act of stewardship.
Beekeepers shared their honey and insights on the types of bees commonly found in their respective areas, highlighting the unique characteristics and behaviours of each species. The discussion also covered traditional and modern methods of beekeeping practised in the communities, including the design and structure of hives, techniques of honey harvesting and the various approaches to processing honey. However, over the past 20 years, beekeepers have observed concerns such as biodiversity loss leading to bee population decline, reduced honey production, low youth participation and challenges arising from an unorganised market.
