UWTSD celebrates the World of the Welsh Bee

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David is delighted to host a talk on the Lampeter campus to celebrate the World of the Welsh Bee during Sustainability Week.

The talk will be held on Wednesday, October 18th in Arts 1 on the Lampeter Campus at 2.30 pm, surrounding the world of the Welsh Honey Bee. During the talk, attendees will be able to explore the origins of the Welsh Honey Bee, and the importance of a sustainable future for beekeeping.

Selwyn Runnett, a commercial beekeeper with apiaries situated in rural Wales is the keynote speaker for this event. He has extensive knowledge about honey bee conservation of the European Dark bee, beekeeping education and mentoring and honey production. Selwyn is also the Chair of the Bee Improvement and Bee Association (BIBBA) Research, Science and Conversation Committee, which provides links between the extensive international research into honey bees, and management practices for both commercial and amateur beekeepers in the UK. He also runs conservation projects for the native British dark honey bee.

Looking forward to the event, Selwyn said:

“As we all now increasingly understand the importance of sustainability in how we live our lives, we also need a much better understanding of local ecosystems. This includes thinking about our honey bees and other pollinators. Our indigenous Welsh honey bee is currently faced with genetic and environmental threats. Now is the time to conserve, value, and support the native honey bee together with encouraging our beekeepers to adopt a sustainable approach to their beekeeping.”

This talk is especially interesting for the Lampeter campus as the University has recently established an apiary on the grounds as part of the Tir Glas initiative. It is a UWTSD project intended to facilitate and accelerate, in and around Lampeter, with sustainable economic development that will benefit future generations by creating a confident community full of ideas, without damaging the environment.

Tir Glas and its honey project stand as a testament to UWTSD’s commitment to sustainable development and the creation of enterprising communities that thrive on ideas while safeguarding the environment for future generations.

Kate Williams, UWTSD’s Head of Sustainability and Environment said:

“Selwyn has generously given up his time to share his expertise with the Lampeter community, he is such an engaging speaker with so many fascinating facts about the honey bee that I cannot wait for his talk.”

Further Information

Lowri Thomas

Principal Communications and PR Officer     
Corporate Communications and PR     
Email: lowri.thomas@uwtsd.ac.uk     
Phone: 07449 998476