Supporting Causes That Matter: eLI Visits The Bee Camp
September 19 was a big day within the eLearning Trade 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 Trade but additionally 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 pals. 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 are able to make our cities a greater place for valuable pollinators reminiscent of bees.
Why Are Bees So Vital?
Aside from being our firm’s brand, there are various extra causes that make bees so vital. However earlier than we get into that, let’s outline what we imply once we confer with “bees.” Most individuals affiliate this time period with the honeybee, the acquainted black-and-yellow bee that produces honey. Nonetheless, 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 virtually 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 very important for our planet, as they carry out the invaluable process 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 replica of the plant. We will attribute as a lot as one-third of all of the world’s meals and three-fourths of flowering vegetation to this course of, which bees and different animals carry out instinctively.
The increasing city setting, the usage of pesticides, local weather change, and the prevalence of monocultured crops are only some of the dangers bees and different pollinators face every day. These challenges threaten the survival of many bee species, notably 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 group consists of six younger ladies with various backgrounds, united by their need to make a distinction by making cities greener and extra bee-friendly. They obtain this by means of workshops, academic actions, and consciousness campaigns for kids and adults, in addition to conservation and greening actions. Considered one of their initiatives consists of bee spots, transportable secure havens for bees and different pollinators that comprise easy-to-grow, pollinator-friendly vegetation. 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 group 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 various extra species than the widespread honeybee and plenty of extra visible varieties apart 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 straightforward to grasp simply how a lot we are able to study from them. Bees are a superb instance of what teamwork and collaboration can obtain, making the world a greater place one flight at a time.
Most significantly, we realized how we may help them proceed their work by making their setting a little bit greener. We made “seed bombs,” enclosing fast-growing seeds in pure clay, to plant in our gardens and balconies or just place in empty heaps in our neighborhoods. When these seeds develop, they may add to the inexperienced areas within the metropolis, changing into a supply of pollen and nectar and making the brutal city setting a friendlier place. Thus far, 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 heaps which will exist in your neighborhood. Select vegetation that can bloom early within the spring and all by means of the summer season, to extend meals sources for bees. You probably have a garden, attempt mowing much less steadily to permit grass and windflowers to develop, offering variety and nesting choices.
Create Properties For Bees
Bees, particularly these main solitary lives, usually battle to seek out shelter within the metropolis. Leaving a number of lower logs in your backyard, lifeless stems, and undisturbed floor are all nice nesting choices for bees. If this is not an possibility, you’ll be able to 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 approach across the metropolis.
Keep Away From Pesticides
If you’re rising meals or vegetation in your backyard or balcony, make sure that to not use artificial pesticides and herbicides. Not solely will they depart residue on the fruit and greens you eat, however they will even severely injury bee populations. It’s doable to create a sustainable and balanced plant ecosystem through the use of pure fertilizers and using companion planting.
Educate Your self And Unfold The Phrase
The survival of bees relies on us gathering data and sharing it with the world. Discover which species are present in your space, how they stay, and which vegetation can be extra useful to them. This information is definitely accessible by means of scientific papers, workshops, webinars, and organizations reminiscent of The Bee Camp. Then, unfold the phrase inside your group to encourage extra individuals to plant flowers and create nesting areas for bees.
The eLI Crew
Conclusion
As one other eLI Day is coming to an finish, we keep dedicated to our values of studying extra about the way to assist the group and make the world a greater place. Our social accountability exercise with The Bee Camp reminded us that each motion, regardless of how small, could make an ideal influence 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, make sure that to examine The Bee Camp web site and help their trigger by making a donation or spreading consciousness.
