Bees and trees in Nkor, forest conservation aided by beekeeping in north west Cameroon 2013-2015

Along with Apiculture and Nature Conservation Organisation (ANCO), we supported the Nkor community to develop sustainable beekeeping as a forest-friendly addition to their livelihoods.

The objective of this Project was to build a strong financial incentive for local people to conserve forests and to increase incomes for the forest communities.

With support from the forest conservation campaign Size of Wales we:

• trained women and men in low-cost, profitable beekeeping
• established tree nurseries
• created firebreaks to protect forest-located apiaries and nearby forest.

Achievements

The target beekeepers made over 400 beehives and located them in the village forest area. Support comprised of a formal training event followed by monitoring and follow-up visits. These visits enabled beekeepers to share their problems and gain advice. Some beekeepers did not construct strong enough hive stands and as the colonies began to store honey, some stands collapsed! This problem was corrected.

By December 2015 colonisation of the hives through natural swarming had reached 78%. The Project also helped the local community protect their village forest area through making firebreaks and to raise and plant 5,000 indigenous tree species.

The Project leader said “I am most impressed by the dedication shown by the women trainees. They work harder than the men”.

This January 2015 video introduces the Bees and Trees Project in Nkor, Cameroon. Bees for Development worked with Apiculture and the Nature Conservation Organisation (ANCO) to integrate beekeeping for income with forest conservation efforts for all around benefit.

Learning about bee farming in Afua, with the NGO, CAMGEW. CAMGEW Director, Emmanuel Wirsiy, in Oku forest teaching about the link between forest conservation and honey production Exchange visit for new beekeepers to Oku, facilitated by CAMGEW