Save The Bees Bali / Natural Light Candles /cottage industry inspiration done beautifully

Last Week, I had to leave home to do my other job (costume designer/wardrobe stylist) and, as mother nature would have it- I got stuck in that large Blizzard that completely stopped NYC for a couple days.

No big deal, I understand mother nature is angry with us.

I was delayed a day, and had my flight re-routed, and to my delight, and for no reason, (other than I think, I was perhaps, the only person at the boarding gate- who was:  a) not manically texting or using some device b) antsy and irate at the poor airline employee who was not at fault for a blizzard and c) smiling- my super last minute ultra cheap seat I bought I received a completely bizarre and nice upgrade.

I found myself sitting next to a very interesting woman, and we began to talk, and she informed me that she owned a very small company in Bali that makes artful candles out of natural bees wax.

Only a few minutes ago, I had the time to check out her work, and I was floored. !!!

Not only are the things she does absolutely gorgeous- but I know that she is doing this with a very small group of committed people in her community, who are not only doing it so they can.... (surf and live in a beautiful place like Bali and earn a living?) but also because they are passionate about saving the bees of Bali.



I sort of fumbled on where to post this! (Bees?! Art/Decor?! Cottage industry?!) - as the company is all three- successful, serious and committed to helping the bee population on the island, as well as doing something sustainable, helping local farmers, and acting as advocates.

I thought I'd share this, as I thought it would speak to and provide inspiration to take whatever they are doing out on the homestead to the next level to help earn $$ (and still live remotely!) as well as benefit their community and natural landscape. (!!)


article I found below:

Published on September 22, 2016
Do: Save Bali’s Bees

written by Green by John

Save the bees of Bali
Kelly Marciano is on a quest to save the bees of Bali. As the founder of the Natural Light Candle Co, a company that makes pure beeswax candles, she understands what a world without bees and beeswax means. She has founded a new initiative called the Ratu Lestari Alami project, or Queen Bees for Sustainability. She recently went to Kalimantan, traveling 17 hours in a truck to meet the people harvesting wild honey. She found out they usually threw away the beeswax, never thinking they could sell it. She’s now going to put up 200 beehives at Hatten vineyards, at Green School, Bambu Indah, and Green Village. She has a goal of having over 2,000 hives on Bali. She gets the wax and you get the honey. An amazing program, check it out.

-JH

Here in Indonesia the bee population has been drastically affected by the practice of slash and burn agriculture. As a result, vast areas of the rain forest have been destroyed. The majority of Indonesia’s honey and bee-keeping activities are in the forest. It’s time to get busy and save Bali’s bees!

About Bali Bee Week (September 2016)

A full week of conferences and educational talks in combination with an educational display on the topic of the declining bee populations and its effects on Bali and Indonesia is taking place this week. The aim is to create awareness and promote solutions that individuals, companies, and communities can take to repopulate the Island with bees.

The goal of 2000 Hives for Bali by 2017—a volunteer initiative by Ratih Nurruhliati and Kelly Marciano—will present research findings, strategies and information on beekeeping, creating permanent education displays at Hatten Wines’ The Cellar Door, and undertake initiatives to help repopulate Bali’s bee colonies.

About Ratu Lestari Alami

Queen Bees for Sustainability is a new CSR initiative of Natural Light Candle Company. Ratu Lestari Alami is the Indonesian community name.

The Queen Bee mission at Natural Light Candle Company is to support sustainable beekeeping within Indonesia with a global view of world-wide honey bee decline and possible global food shortages. The program collects data, conducts research, and offers support and assistance to beekeepers, honey collectors, and farmers living in bee populated areas across the archipelago.

The goal is to help farmers in Indonesia, so that they can continue and grow their beekeeping activities in a sustainable and economical way that directly benefits their families, the farming community, and the honey and wax industry, as well as, having a positive impact on Indonesia’s natural environment and food resources.


https://www.instagram.com/naturallightcandle/

http://naturallightcandleco.com/blog/

Very inspiring and encouraging, thanks for posting this. Imagine backyard and cottage industries across North America also doing something similar to earn money while saving honeybees at the same time. There used to be a nunnery a few miles from me in the PNW USA, and the sisters sustained themselves financially by making beautiful beeswax candles for sale. People could come to their property and see the beeswax process in action, and people could buy candles directly online. They've since relocated, but the business sustained them well. I believe they purchased the beeswax from a nearby beekeeper.