Australian charity the Wheen Bee Foundation, Yendon, Victoria,has won a coveted global prize for outstanding achievements in the preservation, promotion and research of bees and other pollinators.
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At an awards ceremony in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Wheen Bee Foundation chief executive Fiona Chambers accepted the Golden Bee Award.
She said it was an acknowledgement of the organisation's impact on a global scale.
"The Wheen Bee Foundation was founded in 2009 with the aim to draw attention to the essential role bees play in food systems and the environment," Ms Chambers said.
Ms Chambers says the Foundation's notable impact was due to its inclusive nature, working across both environmental and agricultural needs, incorporating honey bees, native bees and other pollinators in its programs.
"Some organisations choose to support honey bees or native bees, but we find real impact can be achieved when you take a more holistic approach," Ms Chambers said.
"Whether you're talking about honey bees, native bees or other pollinators, the solutions are the same.
"Increasing floral resource availability, increasing habitat, minimising chemical use ... these actions are beneficial for all pollinators."
Ms Chambers said the same approach worked when it came to managing the needs of the environment and agriculture.
"It is important to move away from this idea that agriculture is the biggest threat to the environment, when it also has the opportunity to be part of the solution," she said.
"We want to support everyone, whether that's farmers, backyard gardeners or inner-city residents, to take steps to support all pollinators."
The Golden Bee Award is an initiative of the Government of Slovenia, a country with more beekeepers per capita than any other country, and the birthplace of World Bee Day.
The day was designated as May 20 by the United Nations in 2017.
The Golden Bee Award was launched in 2021 for the protection of bees and the recognition of the role of bees and other pollinators in ensuring food security, sustainable agriculture, nature conservation, biodiversity and cultural heritage.
The award recognises outstanding achievements in bee research, promotion and preservation.
It's the first time an Australian organisation has won the Golden Bee Award.
The Wheen Bee Foundation was founded by beekeeper and bee genetics researcher Gretchen Wheen and is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators and the role they play in food production, biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Programs include Bee Friendly Farming, Powerful Pollinator Planting Guides, the Centre for Bee Education with Bee School by Beechworth Honey, World Bee Day Australia (Australian Secretariat), Australian Pollinator Week, the Australian Pollinator Count, Carman's Trees for Bees Community Tree Grants, the Green Carpenter Bee Conservation Project and the Linton Briggs Advancing Apiculture Program.
