BEEing Good to the Planet

As part of the Green Globe certification process, teams within each resort have selected an endangered species to support. For Panama Jack Resorts Cancun, the Melipona bee was a simple choice since the Meliopna beecheii species is tied to the culture of the destination.

The Buzz on the Melipona Bee:

1. The Meliopna beecheii was traditionally cultivated by the Maya civilization for honey and regarded as sacred. Although this species is now endangered due to massive deforestation, they continue to be cultivated by modern-day Maya people.
   

2. Most of the pollination by Melipona beecheii cannot be done by other bees. Without the Melipona, many endemic plants in the Yucatan Peninsula would be lost.
   

3. Melipona honey is used not only as a natural sweetener but also for its medical and antibiotic properties. Melipona honey is also considered to be a sacred element within Mayan ceremonies.
   

4. When the Apis mellifera, the most common honey bee species worldwide, was introduced to the Yucatan Peninsula, the cultivation of the Melipona began to lose economic importance. Now only a few isolated Maya communities still work with the Melipona species.
   

5. If the Melipona bee becomes extinct the consequences for traditional Maya culture and the conservation of ecological biodiversity will be tragic to the community.
   
   Panama Jack Resorts Cancun has sponsored five bee hives as part of the Fundación Melipona Maya, which helps support the cultivation of the bee population within the community. This foundation not only works on preserving the bee population but also employs many community members.

   To learn more about this foundation, visit: http://www.meliponamaya.org/