Monaco is celebrating its annual APIdays on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th June, with a full programme of free activities at the Jardin de l’Unesco on the terraces of Fontvieille, running from 9am to 4pm each day.

The event is part of the national programme L’abeille, sentinelle de l’environnement — the bee, sentinel of the environment — run in partnership with the Union Nationale de l’Apiculture Française (UNAF). Monaco has been part of the programme since 2011, when hives were installed on the rooftop terrace of the Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies in Fontvieille. Those hives continue to be monitored by the UNAF and a team from the Gardens section of the Direction de l’Aménagement Urbain.

This year’s programme, organised by the DAU Gardens section and the Direction de l’Education Nationale de la Jeunesse et des Sports, is designed for visitors of all ages and covers both the practical and educational dimensions of beekeeping and pollinator protection.

Activities across the two days include a candle-making workshop using beeswax, a honey extraction demonstration led by reference beekeeper Lucien Guérin, a presentation of melliferous plants alongside a workshop exploring what our meals would look like without bees, and a participatory seed bomb workshop. Visitors will also be able to discover different bee species and hives from around the world, view the DENJS’s connected hives, and explore an educational exhibition of display panels. A board game will be available on Saturday only.

Entry is free.

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Photo credit: Boris Smokrovic, Unsplash