The Mayan Melipona Bee
Sanctuary Project
Support for Melipona bees and their women bee tenders of Yucatán & Meso America
MayanMeliponaBee.Org
Objectives
Preserving
Ancient Traditions
The Mayan MELIPONA honey bee tending tradition dates back 3200 years. The disappearing Melipona bees and sacred mayan methods are presently being restored and passed down to future generations through your generous donations.
Mayanmeliponabee.org in Alliance with
ashevillesistercities.org
Support and education for women owned meliponarios
Create
New Sanctuaries
Our sweet dream… is to boost severely declining bee populations by bringing bees to 5 villages per year from 2022-2027. With funding and infrastructure we can create pollinator corridors with sustainable Bee Sanctuaries, preserving traditional cultural practices for the future.
The Mayan Melipona BeE Sanctuary Project support for melipona bees and Their women bee tenders of Yucatán & meso-america
Mayanmeliponabee.org
in Alliance with asheville sister cities
Xunan KA’ab
The Mexican Yucatan is home to the Mayan Stingless Melipona bee. She is called Xunan KA’ab which means Royal Lady Bee in Mayan language. There is a documented 3200 year old tradition of honey harvesting in Maya lands. Xunan KA’ab is the only honey bee native to North America and has a distinctively unique pyramid shaped comb. The Melipona Bees are crucial rainforest pollinators and the pollinator of the Vanilla Orchid.
Women of the Yucatan have recently begun honey cooperatives from what was once a men only practice. This new development has encouraged a few women to create their own MELIPONA HONEY BEE SANTUARIOS and honey businesses which continue the preservation of their ancient Mayan bee tending practices.
Bee the Future and grow a network of Meliponarios throughout the Yucatan— a whole corridor of pollinator sustainability can be achieved—-with your help!
About The Mayan Melipona Bee Sanctuary Project
Women of Meso-America and the Yucatán have little opportunity for starting eco-businesses mainly due to low or no income, limited education and resources, as well as society and cultural traditions.
The Mayan Melipona Bee Sanctuary Project is specifically dedicated to funding women in rural pollinator areas of the Yucatán Peninsula and Meso-America with Melipona honey Bee apiary start-ups.
By providing funding for education, our goal is to Sustainability establish new Melipona Bee Sanctuaries maintaining healthy bee populations.
Our model allows women to sell this rare and valuable Medicinal honey in local markets and abroad thus creating opportunities to sustain ancient mayan cultural Practices while reviving declining Melipona Bee populations
The Mayan Melipona bee project support for Melipona bees and their women bee tenders of Yucatán and Meso-America
Mayanmeliponabee.org in Alliance with asheville sister cities
Director of Mayan Melipona Bee Project
Rebecca Ann RobertsonRebecca Ann Robertson is a veteran BEE tender and Community Activist living in Asheville, North Carolina, USA
- Chairperson for Asheville Sister Cities Valladolid-Mexico
- Serving on Team Bee for the College of the Melissae
- Bee City USA/Asheville’s leadership committee
- Center for Honeybee research board member
Rebecca has traveled extensively visiting bee temples around the world that preserve ancient traditions and sacred beekeeping practices.
The MAYAN MELIPONA BEE SANCTUARY PROJECT was conceptualized and founded by Rebecca after she was invited in 2020 to represent Bee City USA/Asheville, NC in a delegation traveling to Asheville’s Sister City of Valladolid, in Yucatan Mexico.
Rebecca’s connection to the Melipona bees and their women keepers was immediate as was her decision to find the ways and means to support her beekeeping sisters to grow and thrive, economically and culturally.
The Mayan Melipona bee project support for Melipona bees and their women bee tenders of Yucatán and Meso-America
Mayanmeliponabee.org in Alliance with asheville sister cities
Our Hive Members
Francisca Moo Yah
Mayan Elder Melipona Advocate
Nana Shuni Giron
Mayan Medicine Healer, Ceremonialist & Translator www.nanashunigiron.com
Stephen Buchmann,Phd.
Author & Science Advisor www.stephenbuchmann.com
María Luisa Rodarte Reyes
Valladolid Coordinator mlroddis@yahoo.com
Cathy Peerless
Sister Cities Valladolid Comm. Cathypeerless@yahoo.com
Mayanmeliponabee.org in alliance with Asheville Sister Cities
César Antonio May
Mayan Translation Melipona Rescue Team
Davíd Dzib Polanco
Melipona Rescue Kanáankaabo'ob davidpolanco_84@hotmail.com
Katie Kamala Haley
Film maker-editor-producer katiekamalafilms.com
Linda Go
Marketing & Development Web & graphic designer linda-go.com
Project budget & deliverables
Mayanmeliponabee.org in Alliance with asheville sister cities
The Mayan Melipona Project costs $9,000 USD per Village
Our honey of a dream are donations for 5 villages per year starting in 2022 through 2027 your donation would contribute to ~
- 12 live Melipona Hives $200-300 per hive
- Secure installation of hives for new bee tenders where applicable
- Four workshops about native plants for pollinator gardens, Melipona Beecheii care in the Mayan tradition,
- Indigenous honey harvesting practices, rituals and ceremonies, and help to market the extraordinary, medicinal and rare Melipona Honey
- Bi-annual visit with The Melipona Project team member and Project affiliate.
- Basic equipment such as jabons, protective palapa huts , hive stands, fencing, harvesting tools and receptacles, and native flora for start up pollinator gardens delivered by March 2022
BEE THE FUTURE
What your donation provides
$100 = 1 Baby hive
$200-$300 = 1 Melipona Bee hive
$400-$500 = Pollinator garden plants
$400-$900 = Education and Marketing
$1000 = Equipment & retail jars
$3000-$5000 = Infrastructure for Bee Sanctuary
$9000 = Hives, infrastructure & harvesting equipment to accommodate one village or Bee Caretaker yearly stipend
MayanMeliponaBee Inc is a 501c(3) Non-Profit Corporation and accepts tax-deductible donations
Mayan Melipona Bee Inc is a 501c(3) Non-Profit Corporation and accepts tax-deductible donations
Bee the Future
Support the Hive
PAYPAL ZELLE VENMO Mail a check or M.O.
Zelle us at Rebecca@MayanMeliponaBee.org
Personal Ck or MO Make payment out to: Mayan Melipona Bee, Inc.
Mail to: Rebecca Robertson, 24 Idlewild Cove Trail, Asheville NC 28804 USA
Ask your Investment advisor to add us to a DAF Donor Advised Fund or CRT Charitable Remainder Trust
Donate your expertise – Join our hive team by providing a service to support our mission.
Mayan Melipona Bee Books, Resources & Links
- The Etheric Medicine of the Sacred Bee-Emmi Mutale Interview with Rebecca Ann Robertson
-
The Mayan Melipona Bee Sanctuary – Interview on Healing Wisdom Radio
Sponsors and Grant Recipients
Some things are just meant to happen. The Xerces Society’s Bee City USA program actually launched from Asheville, North Carolina. In 2020, when Asheville’s Sister Cities program asked Bee City USA-Asheville to participate in a delegation to Valladolid which is Mexico’s honey capital, I suggested Rebecca A Robertson. She had been an advocate for bees for many years, and she had a long relationship with Mexican Mayan culture. Little did she know that she would meet one of the local leading advocates of Melipona beekeepers on that trip. That encounter changed her life, and now she is fully committed to helping Mayan women restore declining Melipona bee populations. It is thrilling to see these legendary stingless tropical bees at the center of the Mayan Melipona Bee Sanctuary Project
Phyllis Stiles, Founder & Director Emerita of Bee City USA
Bee City USA – Asheville Leadership Committee
SPONSORS
Padre Tilo Director of U Yits Ka’an Escuela Agricultura Ecologica www.uyitskaan.org
Maestro Adalberto Aguilar Meliponario Experto
Edith Soto Centro Ceremonial Retreats www.cnhac.org
Shuni Giron Mayan Ceremonialist www.nanashunigiron.com
Stephen Stuart FIlm Producer www.StoryStable.com
César Antonio May Kanáankaabo’ob Melipona Rescue and Mayan Translator
María Luisa Rodarte Reyes Rodis Place Airbnb in Valladolid, MX http://abnb.me/7m4LeN2P5fb
2022 GRANT RECIPIENTS
Consolación Rosie Púc, Tixcacalcupul, MX
Doña Celsa, Santa Eleuteria, Yucatan, MX
Testimonials
Some things are just meant to happen. The Xerces Society’s Bee City USA program actually launched from Asheville, North Carolina. In 2020, when Asheville’s Sister Cities program asked Bee City USA-Asheville to participate in a delegation to Valladolid which is Mexico’s honey capital, I suggested Rebecca A Robertson. She had been an advocate for bees for many years, and she had a long relationship with Mexican Mayan culture. Little did she know that she would meet one of the local leading advocates of Melipona beekeepers on that trip. That encounter changed her life, and now she is fully committed to helping Mayan women restore declining Melipona bee populations. It is thrilling to see these legendary stingless tropical bees at the center of the Mayan Melipona Bee Sanctuary Project
Phyllis Stiles, Founder & Director Emerita of Bee City USA
Bee City USA – Asheville Leadership Committee
