You couldn't stay away could you? Back for those all-important details about our plans for the future and how we are going to achieve them. Great! We love a bit of company!
If you have just started reading our blogs, then let us give you a bit of background. In this blog, and the one just before it, we explain what Urban Bee Project Australia is all about.
We have an ambitious set of goals and targets we want to achieve, and they include:
Increase beehive numbers, bee population & health in the fast-growing urban environment of our cities.
Help to educate local communities on the importance of bees and how to deal with them.
Encourage others to take an interest in Beekeeping.
Improve the local environment for our bees.
Educate and promote actions that reduce our impact on our local environment.
Go Local.
Goals require planning….and we’ve been planning
So far we have discussed our motivations and plans to achieve the first two goals of increasing beehive numbers in the urban environment and educating our local community about the importance of bees. If you missed out on those, head back to our blogs main page and read part 1 of this series to get caught up.
Now it is time to discuss the next goal.
Encourage others to take up Beekeeping.
We love bees. Yes, we know it sounds nerdy and strange and dangerous, but caring for them is very rewarding. Once you are passionate about bees, it's no different to the love one may have for a pet dog or cat. Cats need to be fed and played with, dogs walked and cleaned up after, and we do it with love and joy for the animals that make our lives that little bit happier.
Bees are no different. They require work, and sometimes it's messy, hard and back-breaking. When they get sick or need some help, we have to work out what's wrong and do our best to give them the support they need from us. While many a Beekeeper may not view their bees as "pets", we all agree that we love them just the same as other pets we may have.
Just as any dog, cat, snake, rabbit, guinea-pig, lizard or crocodile owner will tell you, you have to get one so that you can be as happy as they are. We are no different. Yes, that's right, we are that annoying friend who posts a million pictures on social media about how great their pet is, or feel the need to share every walk and any cute picture they take so that you don't miss a thing. You know we are going to do anything we can to encourage others to join in on the fun.
That is why we want to encourage others to get into Beekeeping, and the fact that the more Beekeepers we have, the more chance our bees have to have safe homes and people to watch out for them. Today, more than ever, it is so important that we all do our share to help look after the small bit of the environment in the areas we live, and bees are one of the best ways to start.
We love our bees the same way we love our other pets.
How do we plan on getting others involved in Beekeeping?
There are a couple of ways, some of which are helped by the steps we are taking to achieve the previous two goals. For example, one of the best ways to get others involved, or at least open to the idea of keeping bees, is to educate them and undo any misconceptions they may have about them. We do this through our education program. We give people a look inside the hive, show them how we care for them, and the wonderful benefits that come with them. Convincing people to be open to the idea is hard enough, but to get them involved is another challenge.
One prohibitive factor for starting Beekeeping is the cost factor. If you look into the equipment and material costs, you might find that the cost of Beekeeping may seem a little out of reach financially. For example, a good quality bee suit can cost upwards of $150. Brand new hive setups can vary significantly from around $300 or even up to $1,200 and beyond. All that money before you have bought the rest of the equipment you need, oh, and did we mention, the bees. Yes, that's right. You have to buy bees. And they are also typically around $200 plus for a Nuc which is basically a box of bees with a Queen.
And you haven't even paid for a lesson yet! What if you don't like it? All that money down the drain.
Sometimes the cost of starting Beekeeping may scare some away.
That is where Urban Bee Project Australia comes in. With our Bee Host program, we give those who are interested in Beekeeping the opportunity to see if it’s the right thing for them.
The way it works is simple:
When someone is interested in becoming a beekeeper, they first register to become Bee Hosts.
On approval of the site, and agreement to the terms of the program, Urban Bee Project Australia provides a beehive free of charge to be located on the Host property. The Host then has an opportunity to assess whether or not they are comfortable with the bees being in their backyard, and if they want to continue with the program.
Urban Bee Project Australia cares for and maintains the hive, making sure they are happy and safe. The Host gets to watch and learn, investing nothing but a corner in the backyard.
If after a few months or a few years, the Hosts decides that they would like to become more independent and self-sufficient in their management of the bees, training is provided and equipment supplied at reasonable prices. Urban Bee Project Australia can even help you every step of the way with getting set up. If on the other hand, the Host decides that being a host is excitement enough for them, it’s perfectly fine to continue with the program indefinitely.
We hope that through these simple steps, and a little hard work, that we can break down the barriers that may be preventing some from getting involved and hopefully increase the number of beekeepers we have in our cities. Time will tell.
Improve the local environment for our bees.
Along with increasing the number of bees in our cities and improving their health, we also want to improve their environment. It is the first and best step to ensure our bees are happy and healthy.
Bees are like humans; they like variety in their food and a constant supply of it. Through our education platforms, we encourage and educate our community on how they can plant bee-friendly gardens.
Additionally, we would like to get the program to a point where the support we receive from the sale of the excess honey will help us fund a tree planting program. The plan would involve picking sites close to the hive locations and planting a variety of bee friendly trees and shrubs to ensure food security for our girls well into the future.
This will help to beautify the local area for people too. But it can only be done with the support of people like you, who purchase our products to help us achieve this.
Hopefully, with your support, we will be able to start a tree planting program. Who could argue with that.
Thus the shameless plug that follows. We know that our stocks are limited, but when we do have stock, we appreciate it when you can support us by buying our product. We love it even more when you tell your friends about us and our goals too. So, please, spread the word, buy yourself a treat, and sleep well at night knowing you're supporting a great local cause.
That leaves us with two more goals to go through. But once again, we know that you are up way past your bedtime. So you are just going to have to wait until our next publication date for the final part.
Until then, make friends with a bee, maybe take it out for some cheesecake, everyone loves cheesecake.
And remember, go like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!