Vienna, 16 April (UN Information Service) – To mark the first ever World Bee Day (marked on 20 May), more than 70 participants, ranging from diplomats to kindergarten children, joined a special guided tour with local bee experts from the City of Vienna and members of the Beekeepers School, in Donaupark, next to the Vienna International Centre.
The aim of the event was to increase public awareness about the importance of bees and beekeeping, especially as some bee species are endangered and because bees are the pollinators we rely on the most to meet our food security needs.
In December 2017, at the initiative of Slovenia, the UN General Assembly officially designated 20 May as “World Bee Day”. On this day from now on, the public is reminded of the importance of protecting the bees’ natural habitat and is invited to take action. This is particularly important because the number of bees around the world is decreasing at an alarming rate due mostly to the loss of their habitats, agricultural chemicals, disease and parasites
The participants of the first ever “World Bee Day” event in Vienna included representatives from different UN organizations, representatives of Permanent Missions to the UN and kindergarten children. The tours started at the Beekeepers School, where specialists and beekeepers talked about honeybees, showed participants the inside of beehives and how honey is extracted. The kids enjoyed dressing up as beekeepers and were keen to learn more about bees.
