At the most recent 9th Beekeeping Congress opens at Guyana School of Agriculture, The Guyana Apiculture Society (GAS), Minister Holder stated; “Our beekeepers play a pivotal role in the sector and the work of this organization (GAS) is an important element in reshaping and repositioning the Caribbean honey industry by exposing new persons to beekeeping, introducing international best practices to existing beekeepers, developing export potential in the apiculture trade in the Caribbean and boosting local beekeeping businesses via the promotion of local apiculture products to Caribbean visitors”. Guyana has approximately three hundred Beekeepers/honey harvesters but they are not all part of the Apiculture Society. This sweet liquid goodness offers a much healthier option than sugar, and could become the next best natural economic earner with Guyana becoming a major producer while promoting the nation as a true emerging Green State. A few members of the Eco Trust Society caught up with apiculturist Francis Bailey at one of his many bee farms across Guyana. During our engagement, he made it clear that Guyanese see bees as enemies instead of co-existing habitants of the planet. He posited that in Guyana, we have the Africanized bee which has adapted to the climate and weather patterns of Guyana. He also noted that bees do not attack without reason. Bees are deaf but they respond to vibration and scents. It was important for the Eco Trust team to walk quietly when approaching the boxes and ensuring that none of us wore any high scented perfume. The economical dents of purchasing your own protective clothing is massive. Mr. Bailey made us aware that the high-quality suits are $70,000 and he insists that in order to host any Honey Harvesting Training, only the best protective gear will be used. He has over the years, learned about natural beekeeping and he practices both natural and commercial beekeeping to ensure productivity. He made it clear that he does not clip his queens’ wings so as to allow them leeway. Splitting hives is the main technique he uses for expansion. Though he has only been in beekeeping for four years, he looks forward to having a data set which represents the impact of climate change on his bees. Parts of the climate change predictions show that it will have an impact on the bees. For example, if we have a drought when there should be a rainy season, we will have a dearth. However, he sees that the Africanized bees have adapted to the particular circumstances. Bee colonies can be as old as fifty years. Mr. Bailey offers several pointed notes for persons to follow with regards to preserving bees. Deforestation, the willful destruction of entire ecosystems as well as the disastrous outcome of a world without bees. Food being one, as well as aesthetic purposes in flowering plants and overall beauty to our overall landscape. He hopes that we as humans do what we must to avoid this. Colony collapse has affected the colonies in the USA due to pesticides but luckily, we have not had a similar problem here. Though pesticides have been used here, he recommends more training to be done for the staff who sell the products so that they know what they are selling to farmers. Mr. Bailey is open to teaching about bees, he even hopes to have bee tours to demystify bees. He outlined the many ways bees can die, some of which are assissation, at the end of their chores, there are undertaker bees which remove the dead bees from the hives, pesticides, there are robber bees which look for vulnerable hives and fight with each other. Female bees are not allowed to visit the hives of other bees. Once they do, they could be killed. Bees may assassinate their own queens. If the queen is not laying the right sort of eggs, male or female, for example if she is laying too many male eggs, they will force her to lay her replacement and then kill her in a process called Bawling the Queen. Bees also die seasonally, if they are running out of food, they kill all the men (meno-cide). There are many different types of honey produced here in Guyana, since of which are mangrove honey, jamoon honey, a plant that is dominant in a landscape, there will be honey produced using that plant. For example, if there are ten types of flowers but the bees decide there is one flavour they like, that is the flavour they will produce! All this and more awesome facts about the wonderful world of bees can be found when you watch our documentary on bees.
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Brazilian and Peruvian governments have policies protecting isolated tribes which is supported by the United Nations. The strategy is described as “leave them alone” (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015). According to Science when dealing with isolated tribes a non-contact approach should be considered. Isolated tribes are viable and they would prefer to be isolated even if they were aware that contact would not lead to a disaster. External threats will always prove disastrous to isolated tribes and an extra effort needs to be made to reduce the aforementioned (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015). Based on the interviews done with these groups they have chosen isolation due to the fear of being killed or enslaved, but welcome outside goods and services from neighbours (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015).
Controlled contact is a better option when contacting isolated tribes than the non – contact policy (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015). This means a well-organized plan should be put in place before making contact with these tribes. In the late 1970s to mid-1980s accidental contacts occurred in Paraguay and Peru with the Ache, Yora, Mascho – Piro and Matiguenga tribes and they suffered tremendously from new contact – related epidemics (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015). It was evident that there was a need for medical support to reduce the mortality rate. Controlled contact can ensure safety and sustainability, on the contrary poor planning can lead to disastrous outcomes. However, controlled execution of making contact requires qualified personnel such as cultural translators and health care professionals that are committed to staying on site for long periods (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015). For example, foreign missionaries committed themselves to staying in the community of a Yora tribe for six months to provide health care. When they decided to take a leave of absence dozens of Yora died within weeks (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015). Also in 1975 missionaries made contact an Ache tribe and provided health care for one year, when they left, many Ache died (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015). Due to the fact that isolated tribes aren’t viable in the long term, well-organized contacts are required. According to Science isolated tribes can grow up to three percent per year after a population crash (2015). Sustainable peaceful contacts with isolated groups encourages the protection of native rights, while ensuring groups remain isolated, but exposed to uncontrolled contact with the outside world, which is clearly a violation of governmental responsibility (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015). By rejecting controlled plans to make contact with isolated groups, we are simply promoting the extinction of these tribes (Robert S. Walker and Kim R. Hill, Science, 2015). Curare is an arrow poison used by South American natives and was formerly applied as a muscle relaxant in surgery. Unfortunately, like the curare, many other indigenous traditional knowledge are being lost at an alarming rate. Indigenous knowledge tends to be viewed by some as being archaic, compared to the western scientific knowledge. This has led to the loss of traditional practices as people try to embrace modern western cultures. According to Cultural Survival (2014) there are approximately 370 million Indigenous people in the world, belonging to 5,000 different cultural groups, in 90 countries worldwide. These cultures are seriously under threat (Minority Rights Group 2016). Culture may be defined as the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society while the act of keeping or protecting one's culture is known as cultural preservation. Cultural preservation is necessary since it helps to protect the language, traditional lands and also religion of Indigenous people.
It is estimated that there are between 6,000 to 7,000 oral languages in the world today, but one dies every two weeks (UNESCO 2016). Lenni Montiel, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development Department of the United Nations reiterated that “Maintaining and revitalizing indigenous languages is essential to keep our shared cultural heritage." With the disappearance of unwritten and undocumented indigenous languages, humanity would lose not only an irreplaceable cultural heritage but also valuable ancestral knowledge. On the other hand, the dispossession of indigenous tangible culture such as their traditional lands and sacred sites is a growing concern internationally. Although article 10 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (DRIPS) asserts that Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories, these rights are still being violated. Aboriginals need their lands for numerous reasons, these include subsistence farming, building settlements and carrying out religious activities that is why legal protection is needed. Moreover, Indigenous religions around the world face persecution in the form of political marginalization, discrimination and eviction. Indigenous religions, if grouped collectively, would make up the world’s sixth largest religion, and they are by far the oldest religious traditions on earth (Indigenous Peoples 2013). Spirituality plays an equally important role in Indigenous communities; unfortunately, their unique spirituality is often misunderstood by outsiders and this further contributes to their cultural persecution. Each time an Indigenous culture is lost, the world loses an irreplaceable and exquisite way of being. Fortunately, cultural preservation emphasizes the need to protect and restore the language, traditional lands and also religion of Indigenous people. Ways in which these endangered cultures can be preserved include displaying artifacts in museums, teaching native songs to the younger generation and developing policies and laws related to the promotion and strengthening of Indigenous cultures. January 16, 2019 Un-contacted people, also referred to as isolated people or lost tribes are communities that live or have lived in isolation, either by choice (people who live in voluntary isolation) or by circumstances, without significant contact with the global civilization (National Geographic News 2003). Indigenous activists have called for such groups to be left alone, stating that contact will interfere with their right to self-determination (Survival International 2011). According to the Environment Correspondent, BBC News isolated tribes may lack the immunity to common diseases, which can kill a large percentage of the people after contact. Disease and death have plagued indigenous communities in South America since they first came into contact with the outside world, primarily Europeans in the 1500’s. The indigenous population had no immune protection against illness such as the flu and measles and as result thousands died (National Geographic News 2003). The Amazon rainforest is home to many isolated tribes (indigenous people) since the 1500’s (Survival International 2011). According to the Brazilian Government’s Indian affairs department “FUNAI”, there at least seventy- seven (77) isolated tribes in the rainforest and why they maintain seclusion is pivoted upon the disastrous outcomes of the past (2011). These Amazonian people are very unique and they rely on the method of hunt and gather for survival for centuries but the developing world poses a threat to their survival. Logging, mining and cattle ranching are the immediate threat to these people of the Amazon and without the help of FUNAI their extinction is inevitable (Survival International 2011). Isolated tribes are distributed across the Amazon with little or no contact and despite displacements, epidemics and hostile interactions with outsiders, they manage to survive. How can we ensure the survival of these tribes under such external threats? January 14, 2019 In Guyana, there are four (4) species of mangroves; the black, button, red and white mangroves. All of these species can be found on the coast of Guyana and their structural (tree) densities are very high. There should be more focus on the protection of these mangroves because, often, they tend to be destroyed due to pollution and deforestation.
Mangroves can be defined as a tree or shrub which grows in tidal, mainly tropical, coastal swamps and have numerous tangled roots which grow above ground forming dense thickets (Mangrove Watch, 2013). Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for 17% of global gas emissions and it is mandatory that our pristine rainforests remain intact to combat this phenomenon (climate change). Mangroves play a vital role in the prevention and reduction of these emissions within Guyana through the Low Carbon Development Strategy introduced in 2008, by then President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, because of their high productivity. Mangroves may occur in small a biomass ratio compared to rainforests but they are capable of eliminating greenhouse gases in large quantities through photosynthesis (UNDULP, 2013). In addition to their high productivity, mangroves also store high levels of carbon in their soil components, acting as a carbon sink. Finally, mangroves also serve as a way in reducing coastal erosion both in Guyana and in other Caribbean countries. According to Bouillon et al (2008), mangroves convert atmospheric carbon into organic compounds within their biomass through the process of primary productivity. Primary productivity can be described as the rate at which energy is converted by photosynthesis and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic matter (amount of carbon fixed, measured in biomass/ha/year). Many studies have shown that mangroves are capable of storing carbon and as a result their economic value has increased. Carbon dioxide is sequestered by forest ecosystems, which include mangroves and can reduce the presence of the gas within the atmosphere. Mangroves not only act as a carbon sink or an agent to reduce carbon in the atmosphere, they also contribute to the livelihood of man, through the availability of wood, non-wooden products (FAO, 2007). July 7, 2018 Wetlands are land areas that are flooded with water, either seasonally or permanently. Urban wetlands are found in and around cities or their suburbs. They include rivers and their flood plains, lakes, and swamps as well as coastal variants such as salt water marshes, mangroves and coral reefs. World Wetlands Day originated as a result of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on the 2nd February, 1971 and to this date it has marked a 47-year milestone of progress to protect, manage and restore wetlands. The convention was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea which is home to the Ramsar Secretariat, the main body responsible for its fruition. Over the years, the Secretariat has taken the responsibility of providing outreach materials to help raise public awareness about the importance and value of wetlands. The theme for 2018, agreed upon by the present Ramsar Committee, is: "Wetlands for a Sustainable Urban Future." So, this brings the question. Why are these wetlands important? Specifically to the urban setting. And why should they be important to us? Especially those of us who live in the city. These may be some of your questions. Well, wetlands are important for a lot of reasons. That is: 1. They reduce flooding 2. They replenish our drinking water 3. They filter waste and improve water quality (hence contributing to supply of drinking water) 4. They improve urban air quality 5. They enable people to earn a living 6. They promote human well-being For additional information on wetlands and the way forward to their conservation, visit our Resources page. Resource material sourced from the Ramsar's Official Website to educate viewers and raise awareness of wetlands and their importance. If you like, you can visit their website by clicking the link below: http://www.worldwetlandsday.org/ Wetlands are vital for the future of humanity. On February 2, World Wetland Day was observed to commemorate the adoption of the Convention of Wetlands on February 2, 1971. This year, 44 years later, it is celebrated under the theme “Wetlands for our future”. Wetlands are important for their rich biodiversity, ability to store carbon, provision of food such as fish and rice. Wetlands also purify and replenish our water, aids in the mitigation of climate change and they act as natural shields to protect coastlines from flooding and drought. In Guyana, the North Rupununi wetland is the largest covering 22,000 hectares of flooded savannahs and forest. It is known for its high biodiversity with more than 400 species of fish and home to some of the world’s endangered giants such as the giant river otter and the Arapaima. More than 5000 indigenous people of the country depend on this wetland for food, drinking water, transportation route, building materials for homes, tools and for cultural purposes. The mangrove swamps along the coast of Guyana help to protect the coast where 90% of the population resides from degradation by wave action. However, 64% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900 because many of us are not aware of these benefits. World Wetland Day 2015 aims to get youths who will be the leaders of tomorrow to participate in spreading the awareness about wetlands and their significance to humanity and help in the revival of degraded wetlands. A number of event including a photo competition were held by RAMSAR in order to get young people more involved. Saliqa Zaman |
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Housekeeping Rules Archives
August 2020
CategoriesKhadidia BaMs. Khadidia Ba is the Editor-in-Chief of the Eco-Trust Society Executive Body (2019-2020) Ray BarkerRay Barker is an Environmental Studies Major at the University of Guyana. Micheal MorrisonMicheal Morrison is an Environmental Studies Major at the University of Guyana. Ray BarkerRay Barker is an Environmental Studies Major at the University of Guyana. Annthea PercivalAnnthea Percival is an Environmental Studies Major at the University of Guyana. Saliqa ZamanSaliqa Zaman is an Environmental Science Major at the University of Guyana. Editor in Chief of the Eco Trust Society (2014-2015) Adrian InnissAdrian Inniss is a Geography and Economics Double Major at the University of Guyana. President of the Eco Trust Society (2014-2015) Not satisfied with being just a reader? Want to take a more active approach?
Then become a contributing Writer to our blog. Join our information sharing community focused on the environmental issues and events surrounding us. Send your stories to the Editor by emailing - ecotrustsocietyx@yahoo.com |