Beeworks Brazil: Beehives for Forest Families

Greetings all,

I'm happy to report that Beeworks Brazil is in full swing.  As it is now spring in Brazil, it is the perfect time to launch the major work of the project.  In August, Dr. Roberto Greco along with Gabriela, a bee specialist from São Paulo, traveled to Guapiruvu with 10 hives of Melipona monduri (bugia) bees, which they helped distribute and set up with four families.  Gabriela provided the first beekeeping lessons to the families, which have continued since then via WhatsApp.

In September, 10 additional hives of mandaçaia stingless bees were brought to Guapiruvu by community leader Gilberto and were installed as well.  Currently, Roberto and 21 students from Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) in his teacher training course are visiting Guapiruvu and the surrounding location to better understand how extension projects are developed and deployed and how to build long-term collaborations with communities for such projects.  We'll be conducting a similar visit in a few weeks with an additional 25 students and with Gabriela, who will be showing the community members how to transplant captured wild bee populations into managed hive boxes, and how to reproduce the colonies for more hives.

Giving Tuesday is coming up December 2nd, right after Thanksgiving.  We're far behind on our fundraising goal for Beeworks to fund our partners for 2026.  I hope you'll consider a generous donation to Beeworks to help meet our goal as you consider your end-of-year giving.  Our partners and the Guapiruvu community are counting on you!

With gratitude,

Lev