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A woman from Worcester is working on a project to build a 6km (3.73 mile) “beehive fence” designed to prevent elephants from entering farmland in Tanzania.<\/p>\n
Rachel Monger, a piano teacher who lives in St John’s, is working with international group Emmanuel International to support a community bordering the Ruaha National Park, where officials said elephants were destroying crops and injuring people.<\/p>\n
Although elephants are the world’s largest land mammals, Monger said they were known to avoid bees.<\/p>\n
The project aims to install 600 hives to act as a deterrent to the elephants while generating income for residents from honey and beeswax.<\/p>\n
“It’s an incredible solution where everyone wins,” said Monger.<\/p>\n
“We are protecting the elephants, securing food for subsistence farmers and creating a sustainable economy through beekeeping.”<\/p>\n
Monger previously lived in Tanzania for 10 years, where she trained as a beekeeper and helped farmers establish beekeeping groups.<\/p>\n
“Beekeeping is traditionally a male activity in Tanzania and, for all the women I have worked with in beekeeping, this has been a novel and unique idea,” she said.<\/p>\n
“They become part of a group with new valuable skills which gives them self confidence and mutual support.<\/p>\n
“They are able to start village savings and loans schemes and grow their honey money and together start other small enterprises, which mean their children are better provided for.”<\/p>\n Monger, left, has previously trained beekeepers in Tanzania [Rachel Monger]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Monger visited the Mafuluto community last year to assess whether the Elephant and Bee Project could be established locally.<\/p>\n She will return to Tanzania later this month to support the first stage of installation.<\/p>\n Local support for the fundraiser was organised through Worcester Beekeepers, who will visit schools and host a display at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival from 7 – 10 May.<\/p>\n Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on <\/em>BBC Sounds<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Facebook<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>X<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\nMore like this story<\/h2>\n
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