Ecosystem Restoration Brazil Project #52930

Help Amazonian Community protect their native bees

by Meli Bees Network gUG (haftungsbeschrankt)

Help Amazonian Community protect their native bees

Project Report | Aug 25, 2022
Regenerative Familiar Agriculture!

By Ana Rosa | Director

Regenerative Familiar Agriculture! ‍‍

A workshop on Syntropic agriculture is happening right now at Frei Henri Community, to support their Familiar Farming get even more sustainable.
Check this newsletter to understand why this moment is so special!

In this Newsletter we will talk about:

‍ [Activities]: Workshop on regenerative agriculture at Frei Henri Community
[Food]: Food sovereignty, Holistically Empower Rural Communities
‍ [Network]: Meet Meli's Members: Reni Lourenço
[Activities]: Community Science to Learn about Bees
[Bees]: Honey Bees are Wild Bees!
[Journey]: Opening of "View, Place, Life" Exhibition at Lush, Munich

‍ Workshop on Regenerative Agriculture

Different Members of Meli's Network are getting together between 27th and 31st of July at Frei Henri Community, to learn about regenerative agriculture.

This moment has been very special for our network, particularly because Meli Network Members from communities that have been working together in the last months, or even over a year, are meeting face to face for the first time!

More than 50 person from indigenous, quilombola and campesino communities registered to join this event (we had to close the registrations). For some, an exciting but exhausting trip over 12 hours by bus (even though it's in the neighbour state), for some, receiving new friends in their home community.

This huge interest in the event shows how ready the communities are to learn and engage on regenerative agriculture!
It's particularly important to highlight that and show that the environmental changes needed, don't need to (actually can't) take place in a "business as usual" mode. We don't need to work with big landowners to reach impact. We need to engage the communities to reach larger impact!

And the first impact is their own access to real food! To re-connect with their own food culture and see the beauty of it!

This project was developed together with the amazing teacher Luciney Cabano and the support of the incredible group at CPT (Pastoral Land Comission).

Food Sovereignty, Holistically
Empower Rural Communities

The regeneration happening on the field should continue on our plate. But to think about our plate, we first need to think about culture.

To honour our real food, it's to honour our culture.
Being Amazônida himself, Luciney always values the Amazônida culture. During his workshops, he teaches about food (it's production and appreciation!) and the kitchen is a very important part of it - highlighting the importance of Food Sovereignty!‍

Meet Meli's Members:
Reni Lourenço

One person was particularly important for this workshop to happen: dona Reni. She was unstoppable on the preparations to receive multiple members of the network at her community.

It's no surprise she's a member of Meli's Community Board, sharing the smallholders' perspectives for our decision making.

She's extremely engaged on regenerating previously deforested areas in the Amazon area, her home, she is a key part for Meli's work.

Community Science
to Learn bout the Bees

Short after the first native beekeeping workshop at Frei Henri, dona Francisca made a discovery: there's a similar beehive in her area!

After sharing about it with us, César Favacho, a biology PhD candidate and photographer, made her a visit to learn more about this bee. This studies are going further - always based on the principles of community science!

Honey Bees are Wild Bees!

"I always found it confusing how the Apis bees are called 'honeybees', in opposition to the multiple other 'wild bees'. Some stingless bees can produce honey and live in the wild at the same time."
Ana Rosa, Meli's founder

This video was made in the city where the German Meli Bees Network is located, Ochsenhausen (Baden-Württemberg), during a nice summer walk.

To reflect on that, we invite you for a walk to look for the amazing beings around you!

Please share your findings at hello@meli-bees.org

Opening of "View, Place, Life" Exhibition at Lush, Munich

Our work is also about strengthening Amazonian voices for them to reach different continents.

Last weekend, 22-23 July, started the Exhibition "View, Place, Life" at Lush Munich (until August 13th).

The opening event had movies related to the region: Colônia Gurupi and Pureza; and the rhythms led by Carimbó Cobra Venenosa.

The exhibition reunites pictures made by amateur photographers from Pará and Maranhão, judges by indigenous and local photographers.Remember the Conte

stMeli develops activities for land and people to flourish

We strengthen environmentally and economically sustainable practices based on meliponiculture, regenerative agriculture and community engagement to inspire and to build capabilities needed for local environment and community to thrive.

Get involved and support us!

Be sure your donation goes to the *Human*, *Biodiverse* and *Inspiring* Amazon and follow the positive impact you generate!

Links:

Newsletter July 2022

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