"Copper Bees" in action - the 2nd Honey Harvest at KGHM is behind us

The ‘Copper Bees’ project, part of KGHM's environmental activities in the Copper Belt, ends with the traditional Honey Harvest. The extraction of honey from the apiaries located at the Company's divisions was observed by children and employees of KGHM. As in the previous year, the ‘liquid gold’ was poured into several hundred jars.

Honey harvesting as an opportunity to learn more about the life of bees

During this year's Honey Harvest, KGHM employees and children had the opportunity to see bees live in a special glass hive, take a flight with a bee thanks to VR goggles, as well as taste different types of honey and learn about their health benefits. An additional attraction for the youngest participants was trying on a beekeeper's outfit. The event also had educational value - interesting facts about about the history of beekeeping, the life of bees in different seasons and honey plants.

‘Krainka” full with honey - inhabitants of KGHM’s hives

The hives around the KGHM divisions are inhabited by, among others, bees of the 'Krainka' breed. These insects are resistant and adapt very quickly in new places. KGHM's apiaries are monitored and the bees are cared for by professional bee keepers. Out of concern for bee welfare, honey harvesting at KGHM sites is carried out only once a year. Beekeepers leave the bees as much of their natural food as possible to minimise interference with the hive’s lifecycle. 

With concern for the environment

 The ‘Copper Bees’ project is an initiative aimed to protect bees and support the ecosystem. The project includes the maintenance of 18 beehives located at the Hydrotechnical Plant, the Lubin Mine, the Rudna Mine, the Legnica Copper Smelter, the Cedynia Copper Smelter and the Głogów Copper Smelter. Every year, the ‘Copper Bees’ culminate in a joint Honey Harvest dedicated to the children of KGHM employees. In order to promote pro-environmental activities also among the residents of Lower Silesia, KGHM organises workshops for kindergarten and elementary school students in the region. They are conducted by collaborating beekeepers who introduce the youngest children to the life and role of these extraordinary insects in the ecosystem.

‘Copper Bees’ is one of KGHM's projects for the benefit of ecology and the environment in the Copper Belt. The company has been carrying out a forest planting programme for years with the aim of, among other things, offsetting CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. In the last two years alone, the company has planted more than half a million trees and shrubs. The Company now actively manages more than 1,300 hectares of forest in our region, and the land belonging to its branches is home to many wild animal species.