The "Melbourne City Rooftop Honey": the beekeeping on the city roofs

Rooftop vegetable gardens are now a reality in many parts of the world, but there's another phenomenon is in expansion too. In Melbourne there are currently 50 beehives housed on roofs and there is an epidemic of beekeeping mania throughout the city. Not only is it possible to taste delicious local honey but also to help safeguarding a creature that is fundamental for the ecosystem and recently threatened by disease and new urban settlements.

The project is called Melbourne City Rooftop Honey and it would not have been possible without the work of volunteers from the Melbourne Beekeepers Club who take care of the various bee hives. Another essential factor is the support of the local community, thanks to which it has been possible to raise the economic help required to maintain the hives.
Many new hives will soon be added to the 50 already present in the city, in fact there are 300 rooftops on the waiting list. The bees can be found on various rootops, of bars and restaurants for example, but also in hotels and private gardens.

In Australia honey bees are essential for 65% of the agricultural production, thanks to the fundamental role they play by pollinating the plants and crops. This fact has not only aroused interest in the community of Melbourne, which greeted Melbourne City Rooftop Honey enthusiastically, it is also beginning to involve other cities and not just in Australia: in Paris, London, Toronto, San Francisco and New York urban beekeeping is also decidedly showing signs of growth.

For anyone who wants to taste the honey produced by Melbourne's beehives, there is an online store where you can also make a donation to help the community install new hives.