We recently held a branch meeting with about 2 dozen people in attendance at Jordan Ortt’s house.
Our agenda included items such as Branch and ANBA funding. We looked at Council Grants as options for funding projects and will revisit this in the coming weeks. We discussed venues for ‘getting out into community’ and have teamed up with the Cassowary Coast Native Bee Association hoping to have a stall at the Innisfail Festival of the Senses on Sunday March 26th. (soon to be confirmed) We also talked about ways to encourage members to join the ANBA and continue that membership every year.
The main agenda item was discussion around the need to create of a Code of Ethical Conduct for people the Branch recommends as sellers of hives to the general public.
The Cairns branch of the ANBA is committed to the sustainability and protection of all Australian native bees. We recommend-ed that people buy an established hive from a reputable seller who is aligned with our philosophical ideals and has agreed to a Code of Ethical Conduct created by the Association.
We have now sent this Code of Ethical Conduct to our local sellers and are asking them to agree in principle to these ideals before they will be added to our list. If you would like to see this document it is available on the FB page of the Cairns Native Bee Association under Files. It is a fluid document that will be re-viewed periodically as will the advice sheet we will hand out to the public once we have our sellers listed.
The Cairns Branch FaceBook page now has over 160 members which will only continue to grow once we begin our program of education and awareness in the community. A big thanks to the ANBA for supporting our intent, by supplying an ANBA signed Gazebo, table, chairs and resources.
From: Stewart Clarke sclarkehk@gmail.com, Chair and Representative to ANBA
Cairns Native Bee Association Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1269746467098269/
