Renowned Primatologist, Jane Goodall who is globally famous for her work with Chimpanzees on Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, is now setting her eyes on bees.
Ms Goodall, who has just turned 90, officially launched a special bee sanctuary in the United Arab Emirates.
The sanctuary, which provides a haven to more than 30,000 bees, is essentially named after the lady conservationist.
The Jane Goodall’s Pollinator Garden, is a dedicated bee park which was officially inaugurated at Terra, the Expo Sustainability Pavilion in Dubai City.
“The story behind the Terra bees is very special,” Jane Goodall told the media in Dubai.
“A whole hive was rescued and set up with a new home on-site. Their garden is known as the Jane Goodall’s Pollinator Garden,named after me.”
Dr Goodall said she has several things named after her − including orchid species − but it was “an honour” to have a bee garden in her name.
The Gombe Chimpanzee researcher and global primate expert said it was an honour to have a bee garden given her name.
A small hive of about 2,000 bees was found in Terra in 2019 when the pavilion was under construction for Expo 2020 Dubai.
The bees were removed, nurtured with support from the Beekeepers Foundation and then, last October, reintroduced to a garden in Terra.
This has now grown to two thriving hives each housing more than 15,000 Apis mellifera, the western honeybees that are native to the United Arab Emirates.
The garden is a central theme in Terra’s aim to inspire the community and show through action how native species can be preserved and biodiversity nurtured.
The sanctuary will also serve as an important example of pollination in the ecosystem.
“Climate change along with loss of biodiversity is the single biggest threat to the environment,” points out Goodall, whose own museum dedicated to primates will soon be built in Tanzania where she worked for 60 years.
“But really we have to tackle all the threats, as they are interrelated – and there are enough people who care about different issues that we can actually address all issues at the same time,” she said.
“First, people need to be educated; they need to understand the problems, and what they can do to help solve them.”
But why bees; Jane says she was deeply moved to see this garden come to life as it embodies the critical connection between humans and the natural world.
Ms Goodall described bees as ‘unsung heroes,’ that should be protected around the globe.
The UAE garden would thus help raise awareness among the public about the importance of pollinators.
“This Jane Goodall’s Pollinator Garden is a reflection of how people, the stewards of the earth, must all play a part in ensuring a healthy future for the planet,” said Marjan Faraidooni, chief of education and culture at Expo City Dubai.
“It is an indication of Terra’s ongoing commitment to fostering sustainability and biodiversity while raising awareness of the essential role of pollinators, particularly bees, in supporting the balance of our ecosystems.”