This year’s School of Urban Beekeeping has been successfully completed

This year’s participants of School of Urban Beekeeping school received their certificates at Nova Iskra in Savamala, on October 7th, 2020. The course was aimed at everyone interested in educating themselves about, and taking an active role in nurturing nature and the most important creatures on the planet – bees. The Ekonaut organization, based on their last year’s experience, created improved theoretical and practical content, while the capacities of the school were also enlarged since the interest and applications topped last year’s interest, when the course was organized for the first time. After the applications were closed in June, around 150 people applied, while 30 planned spots were extended to 37, while ten unemployed participants were subsidized instead of five. 

Since May 20th, the media campaign was launched together with other partners, promoting the planting of honey plants as an ecological and socially responsible way for decorating public and private spaces across the city, and should include principles of keeping biodiversity and decreasing pesticide pollution. We interested the media to educate the public about the possibilities and welfare of green areas which primarily planted those plants rich in nectar and pollen, without a need for too much maintenance or hydration, and without a need for pesticides. Instead of shortly trimmed lawns without ecological functions, that are hard and unprofitable for keeping in these times of rapid climate changes, it is more sustainable to have flower perennials that are easy to keep and that represent a shelter for local insects. This initiative was initiated together with the Embassy of Sweden in Serbia and other partners, including the Association of Beekeeping Organizations of Serbia, WWF, Nova Iskra, MN Studio landscape architects, Bee Farm Slađan Simonović, Kreativa Unlimited agency, associations Belgrade Flower Festival and Supernatural, project Wild Belgrade. 

Through the #honeygarden campaign on social media, Ekonaut educates about the setting of bee hives in cities, and that bees are not dangerous for people, while the honey in urban areas is of high quality and without harmful substances. Setting the bee hives in open spaces such as roofs or other areas with needed conditions is not dangerous for people nor bees. Ekonaut is continuing to work on its mission of raising standards of our green infrastructure as the great potential of a greener and healthier city Belgrade could be. 

In collaboration with the partners, a new cycle of urban beekeeping school should be organized in 2021. This is due to the interest for these skills is expanding, but also in keeping biodiversity of all bees and pollinators, regardless of the economic benefit, Ekonaut will work on spreading the topics of educational programs connected with beekeeping and plant growing. Also, they will continue popularizing eco-social entrepreneurship, through their services for keeping and setting the green areas, based on the principles that respect nature. 

The program of the school is supported by the Government office for environmental protection of the City of Belgrade within the project “SOS for Bees”, developed by the Ekonaut and its partners Kreativa Unlimited and Nova Iskra Creative Hub.