The Problem:
Pollinators are critical to the UAE's ecosystem. They may be small creatures on God’s green earth, but they are important to us and our ecosystem. Pollinators like bees are particularly important in a country like the UAE for many reasons, mainly because they help maintain our agricultural productivity and support its biodiversity in this challenging desert environment.
Bees also produce an important superfood that is at risk of being forgotten by society. These small creatures produce the healthiest and most delicious natural sugar in the form of honey. Unfortunately, our generation lives off a diet of harmful refined sugars, and many are unaware of the benefits of honey, which is produced and available right in our backyard.
Therefore, our project aimed at raising awareness and educating the younger generation of the importance of bees as pollinators and the benefits of locally-produced UAE honey.
The Plan:
The UAE has limited arable land, and much of its agriculture relies on highly specialized crops. Many of these crops, about one-third, such as cucumbers, melons, tomatoes, and dates, need pollinators to ensure successful pollination and fruit production. Bees play a critical role in boosting crop yields and ensuring consistent food production.
Recognising this, I worked with a local farm that not only produces organic fruits and vegetables, but also contributes to increasing the pollinator population by practicing beekeeping and producing local honey. I had the opportunity to develop an educational museum within the farm to showcase how bees make honey, traditional beekeeping practices and techniques as well as the benefits of honey in medicine and health.
Called The Honey Museum, we showcased traditional and modern beekeeping tools, different types of local honey, and the children’s all-time favourite activity: honey tasting! We also developed educational materials that connect visitors to honey and beekeeping with the tradition and heritage of Arabia. For example, the mention of bees in the Quran in Surah An-Nahl (The Bee), specifically talks about bee habitats: “And your Lord inspired the bees: 'Make your homes in the mountains, the trees, and in what people construct.”
Further, we designed an education program for students on bees as pollinators and honey as a superfood. Using games, workshops, and interactive museum tours, we educated local school and homeschooled children about the impact of bees ecologically, economically and culturally.
To further educate ourselves and our community about wild honeybees, in Oct 2024, we took a hiking trip in the northern Emirates to observe Arabian Dwarf Honey Bees pollinate the flowers of the Arabian Sidr Tree. It is amazing to note that this native species of bees cannot be domesticated, despite efforts by beekeepers, and can only be harvested from the hives that the bees make in caves, which we also saw. We learnt that a local Emirati tribe still actively harvest these honey from the wild.
I also noticed that our garden regularly attracted a colony of honey bees. When they built their hives in our garden, we invited the community’s children to observe the bees at work. They were simply fascinated. When the bees left, we retrieved the honey comb and created a science tray which we shared with other families. Through these authentic experiences, I hope that the future generation will be more welcoming of these fragile native bees rather than fearing them.
