Help build the first summer beekeeping school and apidome in Crete

It’s not just about our family. It’s a project for the whole beekeeping community.

A bit about me:

My name is David Pražák.

Bees have been a part of my life for over 40 years.

I first got into beekeeping when I was just a ten-year-old boy. Paradoxically, I had a pollen allergy and my allergist wasn’t in favour of it. But my parents were brilliant and supported me.

The first two years were quite a wild ride. I spent the whole summer holiday sneezing amongst the hives, my eyes were watering, and I sometimes wondered if it had been a good idea at all. But I loved the bees and stuck it out. And after a few years, the allergy disappeared completely.

Ever since then, the bees have never let me go.

From that little boy with his first hive, I later went on to have my own apiary of around 150 colonies. I learnt some things at home, some from more experienced beekeepers, and I also picked up a few tips during my stays on large farms in New Zealand, as well as in the Czech Republic and on an organic project in the Philippines.

I actually ‘signed up’ for the beekeeping school in Nasavrky mainly because I wanted to be amongst people who really understood beekeeping. I wanted to learn from the best, gain new experiences and meet other enthusiasts. Eventually, I went on to study to become a beekeeping teacher, because I knew that one day I wouldn’t just want to keep bees, but also to pass on my experience to others. And it is precisely this qualification that enables me today to organise the summer beekeeping school project.

In recent years, I’ve had the honour of building one of the largest Czech and Slovak beekeeping communities on Facebook. The ‘Včelaři’ group now has almost 32,000 members, 25,100 of whom have been active in the last 28 days. In the last month alone, there have been over 12,000 interactions within the group.

About the project

I now live in Crete with my two children – Honzík (8) and Leila (5). We’re starting afresh. We have several bee colonies, tremendous determination and one big dream.

To build a place that won’t just serve us.

We want to build a family apiary, a honey house, an apidome and, gradually, the first summer beekeeping school in Crete. A place where children, as well as beginner and experienced beekeepers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and other countries, can come. A place for learning, meeting, relaxing and sharing experiences.

About you

That is precisely why I would like this project not to be the work of just one family, but a joint endeavour of our entire community.

When someone one day opens the door to the apidom or arrives at the first summer beekeeping school, I’d like them to be able to say:

“We, and I, played a part in creating this place.”

What the funds will be used for

We will use the funds raised primarily for:

🐝 building the first phase of the family apiary

🐝 building the apitherapy hut

🐝 equipping the honey house and purchasing a honey extractor

🐝 containers and equipment for honey processing

🐝 refurbishing the premises for the honey house

🐝 building a storage facility

🐝 increasing the number of bee colonies

🐝 equipping the future summer beekeeping school

🐝 creating facilities for educational programmes, lectures and workshops

What we’ll create together

Our aim is not just to produce honey.

We want to create a place where children will learn to respect nature, where budding beekeepers can gain experience from more experienced beekeepers, and where people can relax in the apiary amidst the scent of bees and the herbs of Crete.

We believe that education is one of the best ways to help secure the future of beekeeping.

Why support us

Because you’re not just supporting one family.

You’re helping to create a project that can benefit thousands of people.

You’re helping to build a place that future generations of beekeepers will one day visit.

You’re helping two children grow up amongst the bees, just as I did.

And as a thank you, we’ve prepared a range of rewards – from authentic Cretan honey to holidays and experiences, right through to exclusive benefits for members of our beekeeping community.

Thank you to everyone who decides to be part of this story.

Because we believe that great things aren’t achieved by one person alone.

They are created by the whole community.