Ban Nai Nang Apiculture Training Workshop
By Kate Knight Office Development &
Field Project Assistant (Intern)
Field Project Assistant (Intern)
On
July 1st 2018, Mangrove Action Project and Nai Nang Apiculture Group
hosted a “How to do” beekeeping training workshop for new communities
interested in this supplementary livelihood. There
was a total of 32 participant trainees who came from 3 different villages that MAP currently has a mangrove
restoration project in: 12 people from Bang Kang
Khao village, Sikao District, Trang; 4 people from Thung Yor village, Klong
Thom District, Krabi; and 16 people from Kong Lu village, Muang District, Krabi.
The workshop provided a great opportunity for Nai Nang trainers to disseminate
some of their valuable knowledge and for other villages to learn about how the
group has become so successful with their apiculture enterprise, with the hope
of being able to replicate it in their own village. This livelihood training workshop
was kindly funded by the LUSH Charity Pot, the corporate social responsibility
arm of the Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetic company.
July 1st 2018, Mangrove Action Project and Nai Nang Apiculture Group
hosted a “How to do” beekeeping training workshop for new communities
interested in this supplementary livelihood. There
was a total of 32 participant trainees who came from 3 different villages that MAP currently has a mangrove
restoration project in: 12 people from Bang Kang
Khao village, Sikao District, Trang; 4 people from Thung Yor village, Klong
Thom District, Krabi; and 16 people from Kong Lu village, Muang District, Krabi.
The workshop provided a great opportunity for Nai Nang trainers to disseminate
some of their valuable knowledge and for other villages to learn about how the
group has become so successful with their apiculture enterprise, with the hope
of being able to replicate it in their own village. This livelihood training workshop
was kindly funded by the LUSH Charity Pot, the corporate social responsibility
arm of the Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetic company.
Community to community
apiculture training gets underway
apiculture training gets underway
The
day started with a welcome speech and introduction from Mr Arlee, the secretary
of the Nai Nang Apiculture group, the hosts and trainers. Ning, MAP Thailand’s field officer, then gave
a brief talk about the work MAP has done in Nai Nang and the background to the
workshop, followed by a brief discussion of how the Nai Nang group was formed
given by the president, Mr. Sutee Pankwan. Nai Nang village was originally a part of a
larger conservation group with the neighboring villages called the Khloa Kan
Conservation Group, who were responsible for the mangrove forests, peat forest
lands and coastal ecosystems in the district. There were many frustrations for
the conservation group, such as no budget to carry out large projects but also
the time needed to rehabilitate the forest meaning a long wait before the community were able to make a
livelihood from the forest. Therefore, Nai Nang decided to start a local enterprise raising
bees in order to provide themselves with a
supplemental income while at the same time still supporting their important mangrove
conservation work.
day started with a welcome speech and introduction from Mr Arlee, the secretary
of the Nai Nang Apiculture group, the hosts and trainers. Ning, MAP Thailand’s field officer, then gave
a brief talk about the work MAP has done in Nai Nang and the background to the
workshop, followed by a brief discussion of how the Nai Nang group was formed
given by the president, Mr. Sutee Pankwan. Nai Nang village was originally a part of a
larger conservation group with the neighboring villages called the Khloa Kan
Conservation Group, who were responsible for the mangrove forests, peat forest
lands and coastal ecosystems in the district. There were many frustrations for
the conservation group, such as no budget to carry out large projects but also
the time needed to rehabilitate the forest meaning a long wait before the community were able to make a
livelihood from the forest. Therefore, Nai Nang decided to start a local enterprise raising
bees in order to provide themselves with a
supplemental income while at the same time still supporting their important mangrove
conservation work.
Trainees, both male
and female, were keen listeners & students.
and female, were keen listeners & students.
The
Nai Nung Apiculture group gave a very professional detailed, interesting and
fun workshop on the many steps to successful bee keeping. Firstly, they
explained how they construct the beehive boxes out of recycled wood removed
from old abandoned boats. There was then the opportunity for the participants
to get hands-on and construct their own boxes using some wood and tools
supplied by Nai Nang. “Learning by doing” was lots of fun for all the trainees
while the trainers provide useful tips based on their experience. After the successful construction exercise,
everyone set off to the nearby rubber tree plantation on the edge of a mangrove
forest which is the site where it is possible to set-out the boxes so wild
bees (apis cerana) can take-up free residency and establish a productive
colony. Here we were given another demonstration about how to set up the
new bee box and make it an attractive home by rubbing bees wax on the inside and
then transport them to the permanent bee yard.
Nai Nung Apiculture group gave a very professional detailed, interesting and
fun workshop on the many steps to successful bee keeping. Firstly, they
explained how they construct the beehive boxes out of recycled wood removed
from old abandoned boats. There was then the opportunity for the participants
to get hands-on and construct their own boxes using some wood and tools
supplied by Nai Nang. “Learning by doing” was lots of fun for all the trainees
while the trainers provide useful tips based on their experience. After the successful construction exercise,
everyone set off to the nearby rubber tree plantation on the edge of a mangrove
forest which is the site where it is possible to set-out the boxes so wild
bees (apis cerana) can take-up free residency and establish a productive
colony. Here we were given another demonstration about how to set up the
new bee box and make it an attractive home by rubbing bees wax on the inside and
then transport them to the permanent bee yard.
After
lunch the a step-by-step demonstration continued with participants being shown
how to collect the honeycomb from the active beehive, without getting stung, which
is a real skill so everyone paid very close attention. Throughout the workshop,
the participants were keen listeners and had many interesting questions for the
group. The highlight of the workshop for many trainees was the demonstration of
extracting the honey, filtering it, and finally getting a chance to taste the
fresh golden liquid. The profitable
honey represented the sweet taste of a successful partnership between the
hardworking bee colony and Nai Nang Apiculture group which provides the safe,
dry, rent free homes and protecting their mangrove as a source of nectar for
the bees.
lunch the a step-by-step demonstration continued with participants being shown
how to collect the honeycomb from the active beehive, without getting stung, which
is a real skill so everyone paid very close attention. Throughout the workshop,
the participants were keen listeners and had many interesting questions for the
group. The highlight of the workshop for many trainees was the demonstration of
extracting the honey, filtering it, and finally getting a chance to taste the
fresh golden liquid. The profitable
honey represented the sweet taste of a successful partnership between the
hardworking bee colony and Nai Nang Apiculture group which provides the safe,
dry, rent free homes and protecting their mangrove as a source of nectar for
the bees.
Materials and tools
needed for constructing beehive boxes
needed for constructing beehive boxes
Demonstration showing
how to extract and filter the honey
how to extract and filter the honey
One
of the main points made during the workshop was the importance of mangrove
conservation for bee raising. It was stressed how the two projects go hand in
hand and it is not possible to raise bees without also working on mangrove
conservation. Bees must have enough food sources within five kilometers of the
bee hive for them to produce honey so ensuring a healthy forest is a precursor
for apiculture.
of the main points made during the workshop was the importance of mangrove
conservation for bee raising. It was stressed how the two projects go hand in
hand and it is not possible to raise bees without also working on mangrove
conservation. Bees must have enough food sources within five kilometers of the
bee hive for them to produce honey so ensuring a healthy forest is a precursor
for apiculture.
Just
before lunch everyone was treated to a short drive to view the mangrove forests
in Nai Nang and MAP’s original Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration
site. This was a particularly interesting part of the day where each village shared
their own experiences with mangrove conservation and discussed the differences
between the mangrove sites in Nai Nang and the ones in their own village. Many
great stories and advice was shared between the Nai Nang Group and other
villagers, and everyone took something new away with them.
before lunch everyone was treated to a short drive to view the mangrove forests
in Nai Nang and MAP’s original Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration
site. This was a particularly interesting part of the day where each village shared
their own experiences with mangrove conservation and discussed the differences
between the mangrove sites in Nai Nang and the ones in their own village. Many
great stories and advice was shared between the Nai Nang Group and other
villagers, and everyone took something new away with them.
Discussion between communities
on mangrove conservation & restoration
on mangrove conservation & restoration
The
workshop ended with each village coming together to discuss what they had
learnt during the workshop. Using flipcharts each village created a quick
strategy of what they would do next when they returned to their village in
order to start raising bees. These were then shared with the group and then
opened up to members of the Nai Nang Apiculture Group for comments and
suggestions. It was clear how much each participant had learned from the
workshop with the amount of detail that had gone into the plans. It was
particularly good to see that each strategy started with improving the health
of the mangrove forests and ensuring plentiful food sources for bees as this
was one thing that was continually stressed throughout the workshop.
workshop ended with each village coming together to discuss what they had
learnt during the workshop. Using flipcharts each village created a quick
strategy of what they would do next when they returned to their village in
order to start raising bees. These were then shared with the group and then
opened up to members of the Nai Nang Apiculture Group for comments and
suggestions. It was clear how much each participant had learned from the
workshop with the amount of detail that had gone into the plans. It was
particularly good to see that each strategy started with improving the health
of the mangrove forests and ensuring plentiful food sources for bees as this
was one thing that was continually stressed throughout the workshop.
Ban Klong Kum
community presented their apiculture plans
community presented their apiculture plans
Please watch our short video (6:33 minutes) on the
beekeeping workshop held at Nai
Nang
beekeeping workshop held at Nai
Nang