Green Match 2024 – helping beekeepers nurture trees

In the Makoni District of Zimbabwe we are supporting women beekeepers to protect their apiaries through tree planting and fire management. After training women’s groups in nature-based beekeeping, we established three training apiaries which act as a resource hub.

Seedbed where women identify seedlings ready to be transferred into polythene sleeves.

Tree planting activities

Deforestation is one of the biggest threats to beekeeping, and the estimates of deforestation rates in Zimbabwe are alarmingly high at around 262,000 hectares per year. Causes include charcoal making, wildfires, clearing land for agriculture, harvesting poles for shelter construction, brick moulding, domestic fuel, mining, over stoking, illegal logging, and tobacco curing. The loss of trees has resulted in soil erosion and land destruction leading to a decline in food production.

In response to this we started tree growing initiatives around apiaries where the following tree species dominate, Brachystegia spiciformis Brachystegia glaucescens, Brachystegia boehmii, Julbenardia globiflora, Uapaca kirkiana, Parinari curatelifolia, Syzyigium cordatum, Azanza garckeana, Piliostigma thonningiii, Acacia serebianna, Vangueria infausta and Vitex payos. To support the tree growing initiatives, we started a tree seedling nursery where we established some Eucalyptus species that included Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus camuldulensis, plus a few indigenous trees and fruit trees. We trained women on how to raise Eucalyptus seedlings and how to plant them in the forest around their apiaries to boost forage for bees.

In areas where we had indigenous trees, we did some natural regeneration and planted Adansonia digitata, Garcinia buchananii, Vachellia xanthophloea, Syzygium cordatum, Uapaca kirkiana and Khaya nyasica. This involved women identifying young trees in the area and relocating them to sparsely stocked areas surrounding the apiary sites. We deliberately established fast-growing species and fruit trees so that they could quickly fill the gap that was created by deforestation

The women are then trained to tend to the planted seedlings, by spot weeding and line slashing to clear grass that can compete for nutrients and light with the established trees.

Women transferring seedlings from the seedbed into polythene sleeves.

Trees planted in open areas and have been spot weeded to remove weeds around them.

Tree planting in open spaces. Eucalyptus trees are being planted in this area.

Interim nursery in preparation for planting.

Fire management training

Forest fires are a major threat to beekeeping since they destroy trees and vegetation that form the natural habitat for the bee colonies. Fires also destroy honey bee colonies and hives in the apiary. To respond to this major threat, Working for Bees under a funded project, are training women on several aspects of fire management including fire behaviour, classes of fire, different types of fuels, different topography, different surface structures, different fire fighting equipment, fire prevention, firefighting, and fire control. The training given to the women on fire prevention and control include some drills on fireguard construction and practical firefighting which will enable them to fight and control fires in the event of outbreaks within apiary sites and established tree sites.

We are fundraising as part of our Big Give Green Match campaign to support Working for Bees in this work. Please donate between 18–25 April 2024 to have your donation doubled.

Training women groups on firefighting using simple tools (fire beaters).

Mock fire being started and to be controlled using fire beaters.