In the wake of Valentine’s Day, we wanted to share some sweet news. Big Life Foundation has partnered with Saving the Wild and Comvita on an exciting new project to help preserve the Kimana wildlife corridor with help from the world’s smallest superhero: the honeybee.

The Kimana wildlife corridor runs through the heart of the Greater Amboseli ecosystem and Big Life’s area of operation. It is a critical wildlife dispersal area, connecting Amboseli National Park to the Chyulu and Tsavo ecosystems beyond. One of the greatest threats to the corridor is a vanishing landscape – habitat loss.

Working in harmony with nature and the existing honeybee density in the ecosystem, 200 beehives are currently being rolled out across the Kimana corridor. Proceeds from the sale of the honey will go into an education scholarship fund, with 70% designated for girls. The growing importance of education in Maasai communities is quickly outpacing many parents’ financial resources to fund it. The need-based scholarships will be available to local students in high school and tertiary education. The beneficial ripple effect of one education is long lasting and can benefit an entire community.

Training will also provide a chance to learn about modern beekeeping techniques, which can then lead to other opportunities to implement nature-based solutions that safeguard the ecosystem and generate income for local communities. By helping to save the wild lands of Amboseli, helping to bridge inequality, and creating a chance for more children to achieve an education, the Saving the Wild Bee Keeping Project fits into Big Life’s ethos that if conservation supports the people, then people will support conservation.