Supporting Causes That Matter: eLI Visits The Bee Camp
September 19 was a special occasion within the eLearning Business calendar. As a part of our firm’s company social accountability (CSR) program and in anticipation of eLI Day 2025, all of us gathered for a particular trigger. This yr’s eLI Day not solely marks the fortunate thirteenth anniversary of eLearning Business but in addition represents one other yr of collective efforts to keep up productiveness, camaraderie, and social accountability.
For these causes and extra, we spent a morning with The Bee Camp, the primary nonprofit group in Greece created to guard and lift consciousness about bees and different city pollinators. Their imaginative and prescient is to assist rework cities right into a greener, blooming haven that’s welcoming to our hard-working mates. And contemplating that eLI’s mascot is the bee, we discovered this trigger very near our hearts.
Learn on to find extra about The Bee Camp, our day with them, and the way we will make our cities a greater place for treasured pollinators reminiscent of bees.
Why Are Bees So Necessary?
Other than being our firm’s emblem, there are numerous extra causes that make bees so essential. However earlier than we get into that, let’s outline what we imply once we check with “bees.” Most individuals affiliate this time period with the honeybee, the acquainted black-and-yellow bee that produces honey. Nevertheless, there are over 20,000 species of bees worldwide, with about 1150 present in Greece alone. The honeybee is without doubt one of the few bee species that stay in social hives, as nearly 90% of bee species lead solitary lives, establishing their very own nests.
Whether or not they stay alone or in colonies, all bee species are important for our planet, as they carry out the invaluable job of pollination. Pollination is the method of transferring pollen from the anther (male a part of the flower) to the stigma (feminine a part of a flower) of a plant of the identical species, permitting the fertilization and copy of the plant. We are able to attribute as a lot as one-third of all of the world’s meals and three-fourths of flowering crops to this course of, which bees and different animals carry out instinctively.
The increasing city surroundings, the usage of pesticides, local weather change, and the prevalence of monocultured crops are just a few of the dangers bees and different pollinators face every day. These challenges threaten the survival of many bee species, significantly wild species that do not stay in honeybee colonies. The extinction of bees might trigger a catastrophic chain response, resulting in meals insecurity, ecosystem collapse, and vital financial penalties.
What Does The Bee Camp Do?
These causes and plenty of extra pushed Aggelina Kanellopoulou to discovered The Bee Camp again in 2018. The crew consists of six younger girls with various backgrounds, united by their want to make a distinction by making cities greener and extra bee-friendly. They obtain this by means of workshops, instructional actions, and consciousness campaigns for kids and adults, in addition to conservation and greening actions. One in every of their initiatives contains bee spots, moveable protected havens for bees and different pollinators that include easy-to-grow, pollinator-friendly crops. These bee spots join city inexperienced areas to create a “bee path” throughout Athens, providing water, meals, and shelter to those fragile animals.
Our Go to
On the sunny morning of September 19, the eLI crew was welcomed at Papagou Park by Anthi and Lilian from The Bee Camp. We began our dialog by defining what makes a bee, realizing that there are numerous extra species than the frequent honeybee and plenty of extra visible kinds aside from the everyday black and yellow. As soon as we began speaking concerning the societies that bees kind and the way they succeed of their survival, it was simple to grasp simply how a lot we will study from them. Bees are a wonderful instance of what teamwork and collaboration can obtain, making the world a greater place one flight at a time.
Most significantly, we discovered how we will help them proceed their work by making their surroundings somewhat greener. We made “seed bombs,” enclosing fast-growing seeds in pure clay, to plant in our gardens and balconies or just place in empty tons in our neighborhoods. When these seeds develop, they are going to add to the inexperienced areas within the metropolis, turning into a supply of pollen and nectar and making the brutal city surroundings a friendlier place. To this point, The Bee Camp has created and unfold over 41,000 seed bombs.
The Bee Camp: “Seed bombs” within the making
4 Methods To Promote Bee-Pleasant Cities
Make It Inexperienced
Simply as we did throughout our go to with The Bee Camp, you can also take measures to make the world a greener place. Plant flowers in your balcony, roof, backyard, and empty tons which will exist in your neighborhood. Select crops that may bloom early within the spring and all by means of the summer time, to extend meals sources for bees. In case you have a garden, attempt mowing much less often to permit grass and windflowers to develop, offering range and nesting choices.
Create Properties For Bees
Bees, particularly these main solitary lives, typically battle to seek out shelter within the metropolis. Leaving just a few reduce logs in your backyard, lifeless stems, and undisturbed floor are all nice nesting choices for bees. If this is not an possibility, you may set up small “bee homes” in your balcony, which is able to supply bees a much-needed break, shelter, and drink of water as they make their manner across the metropolis.
Keep Away From Pesticides
In case you are rising meals or crops in your backyard or balcony, be sure that to not use artificial pesticides and herbicides. Not solely will they depart residue on the fruit and greens you devour, however they will even severely injury bee populations. It’s attainable to create a sustainable and balanced plant ecosystem by utilizing pure fertilizers and using companion planting.
Educate Your self And Unfold The Phrase
The survival of bees is dependent upon us gathering information and sharing it with the world. Discover which species are present in your space, how they stay, and which crops could be extra helpful to them. This data is well accessible by means of scientific papers, workshops, webinars, and organizations reminiscent of The Bee Camp. Then, unfold the phrase inside your group to inspire extra individuals to plant flowers and create nesting areas for bees.
The eLI Group
Conclusion
As one other eLI Day is coming to an finish, we keep dedicated to our values of studying extra about how you can assist the group and make the world a greater place. Our social accountability exercise with The Bee Camp reminded us that each motion, irrespective of how small, could make an important affect in our world. The bee, a seemingly small and insignificant member of our planet, holds unbelievable energy, and its extinction would have dire penalties.
If you wish to know extra concerning the significance of pollination and supporting the bee inhabitants, be sure that to examine The Bee Camp web site and assist their trigger by making a donation or spreading consciousness.
