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Zimbabwe: Beekeepers protects forests (Global Press Journal)

Clad in a white protective suit from head to toe, Willett Mtisi lights a smoker in her hands. As soon as the teapot-shaped device begins releasing smoke to tranquilize the bees, she blows out the match—and stomps on it to be sure. Then she inspects the hives.

A beekeeper for more than a decade, Ms. Mtisi pauses only to pull out the tall grasses that have sprung up in her path, another fire prevention strategy she learned from the country’s Environmental Management Agency.

As she slowly tiptoes around some of the 110 hives she cultivates in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands, she says, “If I throw [the match] away with just a small flame, it could be disastrous. Just a slight blow from the wind will turn into a fire.”

Her concerns are well-founded. Not far from here, in Honde Valley on the country’s eastern border, charred stumps and black soot mark the remains of a pine tree plantation destroyed by last season’s veld fires, the regional term for wildfires. Veld fires can burn through more than a million hectares of Zimbabwe’s forests, pastures, and crops every year. According Tatenda Mutasa, a climate change scientist in the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, rising temperatures, less predictable rainfall, and human error are largely to blame.

Zimbabwe’s veld fires are often caused by farmers seeking to clear land, miners improperly disposing of cigarettes or campfires, or hunters aiming to flush out animals. After suffering years of devastating fire seasons, which run from July to October, timber companies and government agencies have joined forces to create prevention strategies—including investing in community beekeepers to safeguard the forests.

Most timber plantations in Zimbabwe are owned by three corporations: Border Timbers, Allied Timbers Zimbabwe, and The Wattle Company. After years of losing millions of dollars and thousands of hectares of mature trees—which take at least 15 years to replace—companies have resolved to step up their fire prevention and firefighting efforts: investing in fire response vehicles, equipment, and firefighter training; increasing security patrols; funding drone technology and satellite systems; and training communities in fire awareness.

Darlington Duwa, CEO of the Timber Producers Federation, says it is working with community leaders to help manage the local environment. And the efforts are showing some success. Despite a spike in reported veld fires in 2021, losses were expected to be closer to 1,000 hectares, compared to 3,450 hectares in 2020.

The timber industry now supports community grass harvesting, hay baling, and beekeeping projects as alternative income sources and conservation strategies in areas that are vulnerable to the fires, including timber estates. When grass is kept short around forests, hunters don’t feel tempted to start fires in order to spot animals, and the resulting hay can be sold to feed livestock, providing another source of income for the region.

Beekeepers also take greater care of the land to protect their investments; each hive can generate US $72 per harvest from the sale of honey and beeswax.

So far, the environmental agency in Manicaland has trained more than 7,000 beekeepers across seven provinces, including 5,000 in Manicaland. Timber companies provide hives for communities near their properties. 

Ishmael Sithole has been a beekeeper since 2014 and has grown his hives to more than 200. He says: “If one has hives in the forest, when the fire season arrives, they will find ways to safeguard that area from veld fires and arsonists. So beekeeping plays a pivotal role in preservation of forests.”

This story was adapted from an article originally written by Evidence Chenjerai and published by Global Press Journal, with the title: “Sting Operation: Bees help protect Zimbabwe’s forests.” To read the full story, go to: https://globalpressjournal.com/africa/zimbabwe/sting-operation-bees-help-protect-zimbabwes-forests-wildfires/ [1]  

Photo: Willett Mtisi, left, and Ishmael Sithole inspect the health of bees after opening a hive during a 2020 visit. Beekeeping generates income for them while also helping protect the local forests from fires. Credit: Evidence Chenjerai, for Global Press Journal.