Bee queen accepts golden award

YENDON’S Fiona Chambers is buzzing after her local bee charity was awarded an international honour.

The Wheen Bee Foundation CEO was presented with a Golden Bee Award earlier this month for the organisation’s work to preserve, research and promote pollinators, including native and honey bees.

“The Wheen Bee Foundation was founded in 2009 with the aim to draw attention to the essential role bees play in food systems and the environment,” Ms Chambers said at the ceremony in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

“To be recognised on the global stage is an acknowledgement of everything we’ve achieved in such a short time.”

The foundation is involved with Australian Pollinator Week, a bee-friendly farming program, guides for pollinator-friendly planting, World Bee Day Australia, and the Australian Pollinator Count.

It is also part of the Green Carpenter Bee Conservation Project, the Linton Briggs Advancing Apiculture Program, the Carman’s Trees for Bees Community Tree Grants program, and the Centre for Bee Education with Bee School by Beechworth Honey.

“Some organisations choose to support honey bees or native bees, but we find real impact can be achieved when you take a more holistic approach,” Ms Chambers said.

“Whether you’re talking about honey bees, native bees or other pollinators, the solutions are the same. “Increasing floral resource availability, increasing habitat, minimising chemical use… these actions are beneficial for all pollinators.

“It is important to move away from this idea that agriculture is the biggest threat to the environment, when it also has the opportunity to be part of the solution.

“We want to support everyone, whether that’s farmers, backyard gardeners or inner-city residents, to take steps to support all pollinators.”

The Slovenian government has led the Golden Bee Award initiative since it began in 2021 with an aim to educate the world about the importance of pollinators in farming and food production, biodiversity and conservation.Per capita, Slovenia has more beekeepers than any nation.

President of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar and the Agriculture Minister of Slovenia Mateja Čalušić presented Ms Chambers with the foundation’s award.

Wheen Bee is the first Australian organisation to win it.

Bee genetics researcher Gretchen Wheen established the foundation to boost the profile of bees and pollinators, and what they do for agriculture and the broader environment.

“As a charity, we rely on donations to continue our work,” Ms Chambers said.

“This award will increase the recognition here in Australia of the global importance of the work being undertaken by the Wheen Bee Foundation.”