On Thursday 8/12/2022 executives of the Endless paper industry and the board members of Institute for Ecological Agriculture DIO, visited fire affected villages of N. Euboea in the context of the successful cooperation and the ‘Beegin’ action to save beekeeping in N. Euboea.

The aim of the visit was the a meaningful, live discussion between the involved bodies and the beneficiary beekeepers in order to capture the progress of the ‘Beegin’ action and the real needs of the beekeepers in the current period and to set new goals.

The first stop took place at the single Primary School, which is located in the village Kerasia, where the teacher with her 4 students welcomed us. In the playground of the school, there was a presentation of the fairy tale ‘Anthia and the bees of the forest, which was created as part of the ‘Beegin’ project. The young students transformed into little bees spreading messages of joy and optimism for the regeneration of nature and habitat.

Afterwards, local beekeepers discussed about the facts of the devastating days of the fire describing the tragic situation of these days.

Next stop was in village Achladi. The executives and the board members visited an apiary of a local beekeeper who was beneficiary of the action. With hives as a background and bee populations preparing for diapause, beekeepers described to visitors the current state of bees and their increased needs in the up-coming spring. A spring way much different from the others, as the landscape has dramatically changed and the plans that have started to grow in the area will turn the beekeepers to a new bee management strategy.

Beekeepers agreed that the most critical need to be met for bees’ survival during the winter is providence for bees forage.

In order to achieve that the amount of 5,500€ was raised from the proceeds of the ‘Beegin’ action! The Endless paper industry launched a paper product named ‘Bee Love Kitchen’ in collaboration with AB Vasilopoulos and the proceeds of the papers’ purchase, went to the fire stricken beekeepers of N.Euboea!

The visit ended with the delivery of the check for 5,500€ to the President of the Institute for Ecological Agriculture DIO, Mr Dimitris Dimitriadis. Soon enough, bees’ food will be delivered to the beekeepers of N.Euboea.

The Institute for Ecological Agriculture DIO stands by the residents on N. Euboea from the first moment especially stands next to the beekeepers with actions of full transparency.

So far, the collaboration with the Endless and the ‘Beegin’ initiative has provided 170 new hives and 400 kg bee food to fire-affected beekeepers in the villages of Achladi, Kerasia, Kokkinomilia and Papades.