Dear friends,
In the forests of the Yucatán lives a very special bee — Melipona beecheii, a stingless bee that the Maya people have protected and revered for centuries. For the Maya, this bee is not only a pollinator but a sacred being, deeply connected to their traditions, medicine, and relationship with nature.
Its honey has been used for generations in healing practices, ceremonies, and daily life. Through traditional meliponiculture, Maya communities learned how to care for the bees in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem, creating a beautiful balance between culture and biodiversity.
But today, this delicate balance is under threat.
Deforestation, environmental degradation, and the loss of traditional practices are causing the number of Melipona bees to decline at an alarming rate. When the bees disappear, entire ecosystems suffer — and with them, an irreplaceable part of Maya cultural heritage.
Through this project, ICDO and our local partners are working to protect this sacred bee and the knowledge surrounding it. Our vision is to support Maya communities in restoring habitats, creating new hives, reintroducing colonies in the wild, and sharing traditional ecological knowledge with younger generations.
We are ready to move forward with the next phase of this work — but we need your support to make it possible.
Your contribution will help us:
• support the creation of new Melipona hives
• restore native plants that sustain the bees
• work with Maya communities through workshops and knowledge exchange
• protect an ancient tradition that links culture and biodiversity
Even a small donation can help keep this sacred bee alive.
And if you cannot donate today, you can still make a difference by sharing this project with your friends and networks. Awareness is one of the most powerful tools we have to protect both biodiversity and indigenous knowledge.
Together, we can help ensure that the Melipona bee — and the wisdom of the Maya people who have cared for it for centuries — continues to thrive for generations to come.
With gratitude,
The ICDO Team
