The Sweet Charm of Honeybees... Nowon-gu 'Urban Beekeeping School' Operation

From March to November, 25 systematic training and practice sessions were held at Deokneunggogae Apiary... Promoting the potential of urban beekeeping and expecting the creation of eco-friendly urban agriculture jobs

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is operating this year’s first ‘Urban Beekeeping School’ to create eco-friendly urban agriculture jobs through fostering urban beekeeping.

The beekeeping school, conducted with 20 participants each in the basic and advanced classes, runs from March to November (no classes from July 1 to August 11) every Tuesday for 2 hours, totaling 25 sessions combining theory and practice.

The basic course covers fundamental beekeeping methods and seasonal bee management, while the advanced course focuses on practical training to nurture beekeepers.

Certificates are issued to those who complete 80% of the total lectures. The tuition fee is 100,000 KRW. Enrollment for the 2020 urban beekeeping course, starting next month, opens on the 18th via the Nowon-gu website and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The training location is the Deokneunggogae Apiary (Sangye 3·4-dong San 161-3). It is a 660㎡ site provided in cooperation with Kwangwoon University located in Wolgye-dong, reflecting the trainees’ feedback that the Bulam Herb Park, operated since 2015, was too small.

The 90kg of honey harvested through last year’s urban beekeeping school was inspected for quality and safety by the Korea Beekeeping Association and donated to neighbors in need.

Honeybees, which first gifted humanity with honey as a sweetener, are responsible for producing 100 major crops worldwide. Their activity helps flowers and fruits grow more abundantly. Einstein emphasized the fatal threat to the ecosystem caused by the decline of honeybees, stating, “The Earth will perish four years after the extinction of honeybees.”

Many people doubt whether honey made in the city’s polluted air can be consumed, but honeybees purify fine dust and heavy metals during the honey maturation process.

In fact, honey produced through urban beekeeping is found to be suitable for consumption every year in ingredient tests, as cities use fewer pesticides than rural areas. It also encourages active inflow of insects and birds, enriching the barren urban ecosystem.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Nowon, a forest zone within the city, has the optimal environment for urban beekeeping.” He added, “We will steadily promote the creation of an eco-friendly ecological city where people, insects, and plants coexist and foster beekeeping to create new jobs.”

Nowon-gu Office, Parks and Leisure Division (2116-0552)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.