A family project aims to protect and promote beekeeping with melipona bees, crucial for…

A family project aims to protect and promote beekeeping with melipona bees, crucial for preserving one of the largest mangrove areas on the planet. Elma Guadalupe Cab Hochín, 51, initially feared bees due to a childhood sting, but now, dressed in protective gear, she tends to her European honeybee hives (Apis mellifera) on a sandy strip among mangroves in Isla Arena, Campeche, Mexico. Twice weekly, she leaves her small restaurant, the family's main income source, to join her husband Mario, who is afraid of bees, her son Humberto, and neighbor Juan, who helps with the bees. After their visits to the apiary, Elma and Humberto check the mangroves while Mario takes them back home by boat. Three years ago, Elma reconnected with beekeeping, a tradition in her family, and now the Cab family, whose name means 'bee' in Maya, operates an apiary that aids in mangrove conservation.