At CEPC Tolimán, something has taken root—and it's buzzing with life. We’re proud to share the completion of CEPC Tolimán's meliponiculture (stingless beekeeping) project, an initiative rooted in ancestral Mayan knowledge that supports ecological regeneration, food sovereignty, and community self-determination. This form of beekeeping is a return to sacred relationships between people, pollinators, and the land, and was shared in the form of in-person workshops in thanks to supporters of the Living Maya Project.

Honoring Ancestral Knowledge

In Maya communities, melipona bees have long been revered—not just for their honey, but for their spiritual and medicinal significance. Their honey is used in healing, ceremony, and traditional offerings, and caring for them has always been a reciprocal act. Reviving meliponiculture means more than restoring a foodway. It’s restoring a worldview grounded in balance, interdependence, and deep respect for the natural world.

Rooted in Place, Supporting Biodiversity

Stingless bees are also powerful allies in ecological restoration. As native pollinators, they help sustain the health of local ecosystems and food crops. By planting pollen-rich flora and establishing sustainable meliponaries, the community is actively strengthening pollinator habitats, boosting biodiversity, and increasing climate resilience—all while preserving traditional ecological knowledge.

Workshops

Through three hands-on workshops facilitated by CEPC Tolimán, participants gained the skills to care for and manage melipona bees using techniques passed down through generations. From constructing bee boxes to learning ethical harvesting and honey processing methods, the project wove together practical training and cultural revitalization.

With the project now fully implemented, we’re proud to share:

• 12 active bee boxes now house thriving melipona colonies
• New native flowers have been planted to support long-term bee health
• Over a dozen local producers are now certified meliponiculturists in the Mesoamerican tradition

Each workshop became more than a class—it was a space of storytelling, collaboration, and pride. As participants reconnected with traditional knowledge, they also built a shared vision for sustainable and sovereign futures.

As the bees flourish, so too does the community’s capacity to carry forward ecological traditions that honor the past while sustaining the future.