Bees are insects that are feared by many people in the world despite producing nutritious honey.
However, they are also very vital to the health and productivity of our ecosystems. They help in passing pollen during pollination thus supporting regeneration of forests, agricultural production and the survival of indigenous plants.
During World Bees day celebrated on May 20, the Kenya Forest Service chief conservator Alex Lemarkoko issued a statement urging Kenyans to plant more indigenous and flowering trees that attract bees and other pollinators.
Lemarkoko said the KFS shares a critical ecological relationship with forest conservations where they enhance natural regeneration.
“On this important occasion, I call upon all Kenyans to take deliberate steps towards protecting pollinators and conserving the environment by planting flowering indigenous trees so as to attract more pollinators” he said.
He noted that the bees also play an important role in supporting community livelihood as they practice the apiculture as a way of income generating activity.
However, the CCF decried that despite all the positive roles the bees play towards environmental conservation, they face a threat from deforestation, forest degradation, climate change, environmental pollution, wildfires and harmful pesticides and other chemicals.
Moreover, the KFS officers urged the Community Forests Associations to partner with officers who train them about bee farming so as to sensitize the public about the important role played by bees towards environmental conservation.
“A lot of people do not know how to handle bees. They feel they need to be sprayed with chemicals once noted in someone’s farm, even during honey harvesting” said Bedan Makara, a CFA member from Uplands forest.
Speaking at Ronald Ngala primary school in Mombasa on Wednesday, Livestock Development principal secretary Hon Jonathan Mueke encouraged students to embrace planting and nurturing trees as part of building a sustainable future to conserve habitats for bees.
He told the students and teachers to also sensitize the community about the role of bees they did not know about environmental conservation.
Mueke was accompanied by Mombasa county forest conservator Benard Wahome.
