Honey Walks

Intervention title LEADER – community-led local development

Project title: Honey Walks

Short project description:

The Honey walks project combines investments and soft measures to improve biodiversity in public spaces, raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, promote sustainable tourism and enhance the quality of life for the local community through the thematic development of public areas. The Municipality of Metlika will plant nectar-rich perennials, develop a plan for urban equipment and install pilot elements along Urban’s trail. The Metlika Institute will establish an educational corner next to the House of Delicacies, featuring an insect hotel, a learning beehive and information boards, and will upgrade infrastructure to promote local beekeepers. The Metlika Beekeeping Association will set up a teaching apiary with a small outdoor classroom.

The target groups include children, tourists, local beekeepers and the wider local community. The project will contribute to the development of the rural economy and tourism, nature conservation and raising public awareness of sustainable agriculture. The project’s innovation lies in its multifunctional approach to the development of public spaces, designed with a long-term perspective and aimed at promoting good practices.

Project objectives and results:

The project addresses the decline of pollinator habitats, the decrease in bee populations and the lack of awareness of the importance of nectar-rich plants and sustainable agricultural practices. Urban parks and green spaces represent an underutilised potential for sustainable tourism and local economic development. Through the project, several green areas will be enhanced, interpretation points will be established and educational programmes will be developed for schools and the wider community. The planned investments, complemented by educational content and awareness-raising events, will contribute in the long term to the development of rural tourism, improve the quality of urban spaces and strengthen the visibility of local beekeeping.

Events organised within the project will attract visitors from across Bela Krajina, while the promotion of local beekeepers through the House of Delicacies of Bela Krajina will support producers from all three municipalities in the region that are part of the provider network.

Project Partners: Municipality of Metlika, Metlika Institute and the Dr Jožef Starc from Beekeeping Association

Total project value: EUR 105,053.40, co-financed by the EKSRP and the Republic of Slovenia in the amount of EUR 75,686.27