Bee Ambassadors' Conference at Denman College

Bee-ing inspired at Denman College – March 2010
Monday 29th March 2010 saw Bee Ambassadors from up and down the country gathering in Denman College for the SOS for Honeybees conference.
Around 60 members attended, all of whom had an interest in the Honeybees campaign and many of whom had already put on an event or raised awareness in their local community as part of the campaign.
The conference opened with an introduction from Ruth Bond, the NFWI Chair. Ruth noted how timely the campaign was, with the major decisions about funding for honeybee research taking place in the summer of 2010.
Lord Davies of Oldham, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for DEFRA, was the opening speaker, providing the Government’s perspective on the challenges facing both the honeybee and other pollinating insects.Lord Davies of Oldham, Under Secretary of State for DEFRA addressing the conference
Members were keen to find out from the Minister whether the honeybee, as the most important pollinator for UK crops and wild plants, would be given recognition in terms of the funding allocated to research. Lord Davies pointed out that there were a great number of pollinators under threat at the present time and that all of these had to be taken into consideration when providing funding for academic research.Professor Francis Ratnieks of Sussex University addressing the conference
The next speaker had a very much hands on experience of academic research and was able to provide an overview for members of what the scientific community was doing to help the honeybee. Professor Francis Ratnieks, the UK’s only professor of apiculture who is based in the University of Sussex, highlighted the studies which he had conducted into honeybee health and behaviour, and related this to the ways in which individuals might best help the honeybee within their own homes and local area.
After a lunch consisting of bee-pollinated foods, including apple and honey muffins to finish, members returned to the Ferris Room to hear from the Chairman of Rowse Honey, the sponsors of the conference. Stuart Bailey was able to provide a commercial perspective for the day, as Rowse are the UK’s largest honey packers and importers. They have faced the commercial implications of a shortage of UK honey, as well as the impact of diseases and the fall in honeybee numbers around the world. Rowse have donated significant amounts of money to fund research into honeybee health and are running their own awareness-raising campaign about the plight of honeybees on their packaging.
Stuart Bailey, Chairman of Rowse Honey Ltd, addressing the conference
Members then broke off to take part in a range of workshops, designed to provide them with fun and interactive ways to encourage other members of their local communities to get involved in the campaign. There was a talk on gardening with bees in mind, a workshop teaching members how to make a beeswax candle, and the opportunity to make a bee-inspired bag.
Joy Thomson
Finished beeswax candle
WI members get busy making a beeswax candle
Martin Smith, the President of the British Beekeepers’ Association, provided members with an overview of the challenges from a beekeepers’ perspective, including some information on what it takes to become a new beekeeper, the ways in which beekeepers manage pests and diseases in their hives, and some information designed to assist WI members in working effectively with their local beekeeper.Martin Smith, President of the BBKA, addressing the conference
Ruth Bond summed up the day, thanking all the speakers and workshop tutors for their contribution to a most interesting and informative event. There was the opportunity to talk further with the representatives from the Food and Environment Research Agency who had come for the day to meet informally with members, as well as look at some of the pieces of art which had been provided to us for the day by artists with an interest in the honeybee.
Work in progress: a bee-inspired bag
WI members learn about 'gardening with bees in mind'

If you would like to find out more about the work of our speakers from the Bee Conference, please use the links below to access their websites:

Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

National Bee Unit

Food and Environment Research Agency

Professor Ratnieks at Sussex University

Rowse Honey

British Beekeepers’ Association