First Pasture stocks a full range of books and dvds on beekeeping however if you can’t keep bees, but would like to help, what can you do?’  The National Beekeeping Centre has provided an alternative solution.

There is intense public interest and support for the honey bee, and an enduring fascination with the art of beekeeping and the hidden world within the hive, so BBKA has come up with an exciting new idea to raise much needed funds to cope with this interest - an 'Adopt a Beehive' scheme, with the help and sponsorship of Saga.

It is hoped that the BBKA scheme, which was launched Spring 2010 will harness the public's desire to 'do something' in a way that will help the honey bee effectively.   BBKA have adapted the familiar 'adopt an animal' concept to raise revenue to be directed at:
• Research programmes into honey bee health and husbandry
• Education programmes to teach best practice for beekeepers.
The aim is to supply free or subsidised training materials to local associations, and to directly fund research projects through the revenue raised. You can download a document of the BBKA priority research areas on the website www.britishbee.org.uk home page.

The BBKA has funded a £36,000 PhD project at Sussex University into investigating the genetic basis of hygienic behaviours in honey bees and the aim is to follow this up with more projects as funds allow.

How will it work?
People can choose to ‘adopt’ one of twelve different beehives from across Britain (including Scotland and Wales but excluding N. Ireland.) You can see the adoption pages on www.adoptabeehive.co.uk. The selection of hives and beekeepers has been made to offer a choice of regions across the country, and to reflect some of the different habitats and places were hives are kept.

People will not be able to actually visit their adopted hive or contact their adopted beekeeper personally, this is a ‘virtual’ adoption, and they hope that thousands of people will adopt the same hive and beekeeper. Once people sign up to ‘Adopt a Beehive’, they will be sent a welcome pack and a newsletter three times each year with news about what is going on in the beehive and the beekeepers’ world. If the scheme generates enough revenue you will also be able to follow the beekeepers more closely on the web through blogs and Facebook.

One year’s adoption will cost £29.50 and each person will receive a welcome pack which will include:-

Welcome letter from the BBKA President
BBKA Adoption Certificate
Window sticker
Colour fact sheet about the honey bee
Six postcards of honey bees and flowers
Newsletter
Fridge magnet
A beech wooden honey dipper
A choice of either a 227g jar of set British honey or a 100g jar of honey mustard
The ‘pack’ contents have been carefully chosen to offer a good value, good quality range of materials, ethically sourced, which will be useful, interesting or educational.