Imagine walking through a silent world — devoid of the hum of life,
absent of blossoms painting the landscape, and withering fruits
ceasing to ripen under the warm sun.
A realm where color
diminishes and the melody of nature comes to a halt.
This is the reality we would face with the extinction of bees.
And it's already unfolding before our eyes.
Across Brazil, over 300 species of native stingless
bees — gentle, varied, and remarkably exquisite — teeter on
the edge of extinction.
They exhibit a kaleidoscope of colors —
sparkling golds, deep blacks, rich reds, and even iridescent greens —
spanning a vast range of sizes, from nearly invisible to those larger
than a fingertip.
Each bee occupies a crucial position within
the intricate web of life.
These bees are not merely the guardians of Brazil’s
forests — they are the keepers of the world’s food
supply.
They pollinate not only the native flora but
also the fruits, vegetables, and crops that sustain
humanity.
From coffee and berries to nuts and tropical
delicacies, their quiet contributions nourish billions of lives each day.
Yet, their existence is endangered.
Deforestation, pesticide
use, and the impacts of climate change are erasing their homes and
habitats.
Entire colonies are vanishing right before our eyes —
taking with them the delicate balance of life itself.
To combat this crisis, we are establishing a
Meliponary — a sanctuary dedicated to the
preservation, study, and protection of Brazil’s
native stingless bees.
This sanctuary will serve as a living
refuge where endangered species can flourish anew, where invaluable
knowledge can expand, and where education can empower future
generations to safeguard what remains.
This initiative will also collaborate hand in hand with schools, allowing young people to connect with these extraordinary creatures up close, to learn about their critical role in our ecosystem, and to grasp that without bees, there is no food, no forests, and no future.
Cultivating resilient colonies, creating sustainable hives, and developing educational resources necessitate unwavering effort and resources — yet the cost of allowing these bees to disappear is immeasurably greater.
💛 Every contribution you make helps to preserve life itself.
You are not solely supporting bees — you are championing
biodiversity, food security, and the future of our planet.
Together, we can ensure that the hum of Brazil’s stingless bees — the smallest yet most powerful guardians of nature — will never fade into silence.
🐝 Stand with the bees. Stand with life.
Perks
All contributors will have exclusive access to all processes involved in the project through live streams. These live streams will be announced one day in advance via email and will show the trips to the forest for bait installation, the captures, the transfer to the definitive boxes, the handling procedures, and all matters related to the project, as well as an exclusive group on Telegram where we can exchange experiences and discuss improvements to the project. This way, contributors can follow the development of the project.
In addition to access to the live streams, these contributors will be able to choose to receive three 100ml jars of honey from native bee species of their choice, provided that the person covers the shipping costs to their location.
About the creator
My name is Thiago, I'm 39 years old, and I live in a small village near the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, in Brazil. It's a small, touristy village, surrounded by native forest, but it's undergoing residential expansion due to its natural beauty, tranquil rural environment, and proximity to the capital.
Three years ago, I was working with my brother in the family garden, and we were invited to a technical visit to a meliponary (stingless bee farm) to learn about the practice. Three months later, I participated in a meeting of rural producers at the Federal University of Viçosa, Florestal campus, where I spent a week staying on campus and was able to choose a topic related to agriculture. In this case, I chose meliponiculture, which interested me a lot. After the course, I became very curious and delved deeper into the subject.
Last year, I put my fear aside and started placing bait traps in the region to capture swarms, but I wasn't successful, and the only swarm I captured was stolen. This discouraged me, but I didn't give up. I continued studying and realized that I was making some mistakes, such as the type of tree where I placed the traps, the use of immature attractants, and the position of the traps, among others.
By improving my capture technique, I have been so successful that I can no longer spread traps because I don't have the resources to transfer the swarms to permanent hives.
In the last 15 days, I managed to capture ten swarms of four different species in the traps. I believe this change in quantity is due to the wildfires in the middle of the year and the advancement of house construction in the region and the increase in mineral extraction in the region, which have cut down several trees, reducing the number of hollows that are the habitat of these species. Based on my previous experience, I didn't imagine that it would be such a large volume in such a short time, which means that I cannot afford the necessary costs to continue the project. Therefore, I am creating this campaign to be able to accommodate these swarms, create content to disseminate knowledge about the importance of these species to the planet and, especially, to the economy and human food supply, preserve as many species as possible, and also provide schools with an experience for a greater understanding of the importance of these small animals to all living beings on the planet.
All contributors will have exclusive access to all processes involved in the project through live streams. These live streams will be announced one day in advance via email and will show the trips to the forest for bait installation, the captures, the transfer to the definitive boxes, the handling procedures, and all matters related to the project, as well as an exclusive group on Telegram where we can exchange experiences and discuss improvements to the project. This way, contributors can follow the development of the project.
In addition to access to the live streams, these contributors will be able to choose to receive three 100ml jars of honey from native bee species of their choice, provided that the person covers the shipping costs to their location.
