– We want tree beekeeping to return to the forests of Lower Silesia. At a time of mass bee die-offs, this kind of activity is particularly important – says Szymon Głogowski, president of the TREK Social Activity Association.
The tree hive was created at a height of 4 metres above the ground, in a charming corner of the forests near Świętoszów. First, the tree beekeepers selected a suitable pine tree and cut a hive chamber (opening) measuring 95 x 10 cm and 30 cm deep. The chamber was then widened further inside. Part of the rotten wood inside the trunk was also removed to reach a hole made by a woodpecker, which became a natural eye, or entrance, for bees into the tree hive. Once the interior of the future bee house had been prepared, the opening was sealed with a wooden block (closure), that is, a square timber measuring 10 x 10 cm.
In spring, the tree beekeepers will visit their hive to place a znamię, or identifying mark, in it, and hang krzyżawki (sticks) inside the hive to support the honeycombs. To encourage wild bees to settle in the hive, they will immediately place one honeycomb on the krzyżawki.
The contemporary tree beekeepers had been preparing for their task since May this year. They began by searching the literature and the internet for information about the old tradition. They found a great deal, although they still felt that it was not enough. They were most surprised that the Lower Silesian Wilderness was in no way inferior to the eastern regions of our country when it came to the art of tree beekeeping. The Lusatians who inhabited the wilderness had forest beekeeping areas until the beginning of the 19th century, with their largest concentration around Kliczków.
The next step was training in beekeeping – Mr and Mrs Słonecki from Luboszów, who have owned an apiary for several decades, shared their knowledge with the tree beekeepers. They also invited students from I Liceum Ogólnokształcące in Bolesławiec to the workshops. The high-school students then passed on their experience to younger pupils from primary schools by conducting classes for them at their schools. Bees and their current problems became important to more than one hundred students from Bolesławiec schools.
The second promotional activity was a “sweet stall” at the Bolesławiec Ceramic Festival, offering beekeeping products (honey, propolis and flower pollen), handicrafts, and the opportunity for visitors to paint beekeeping-related motifs on T-shirts or bags themselves.
In September, an art competition entitled “Where Does a Little Bee Live and What Does It Do?” was also announced for children from kindergartens and primary schools in Bolesławiec County. BOK-MCC is the event’s co-organizer.
Do the TREK tree beekeepers intend to stop there? – Definitely not! – adds Szymon Głogowski. – If we find a way to secure funding, next year we will launch a project encouraging others to become tree beekeepers.
The “Tree Beekeepers of the Lower Silesian Wilderness” project is a winner of the “With Kujawski, We Help Bees” grant competition. The grant was funded by Z.T. Kruszwica, and the competition was organized by the “Nasza Ziemia” Foundation.
More information is available at www.bartnicy.trek.org.pl and www.trek.org.pl.
SAS TREK/ii