2019 – Banská Bystrica (Slovakia)

10^th International Meeting of Young Beekeepers

SOŠ Pod Bánošom, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
July 3rd to July 7th 2019

Full details are available on the website https://imyb.sk

Participating countries:

Australia, Austria, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ulster, Ukraine, Wales.

Competition:

• Test – 32 multiple choice questions
• Bee anatomy
• Marking drones
• Grafting larvae
• Frame making
• Making up nucleus
• Honey and plant identification
• Identifying equipment usage
• Assembling beehive
• Uncapping honey frames
• Inserting frames into the extractor
• Honey extraction
• Recognition of various stages of brood

Winners:

The individual results:

1st Place – Martin Leathy, Scotland
2nd Place – Jan Materna, Czech Republic
3rd Place –  Asger Degn, Denmark

​The country results:
1st Place – Czech Republic
2nd Place – Slovakia
3rd Place – Germany

The 10th International meeting moved to central Slovakia for the second time with the venue Secondary Vocational School Pod Banosom in Banska Bystrica, school that transformed into a centre for the development of countryside and agritourism following the Velvet Revolution in Slovakia, 1989. It has bravely become the only beekeeping school in Slovakia. International Education Society (IES, London) rates it a highly erudite and professionally managed institution.
Beekeeping first started as a mere subject within the study field Rural development entrepreneur. But after Beekeeping became an approved field of education, the Centre for professional education and training in beekeeping (as part of the school) was founded in 2011 and has been working as Slovak Beekeepers Association’s base for education. The Centre is focused on adults’ education and is part of the lifelong learning segment in Slovakia. The school offers a 2 – year study programme in beekeeping. Applicants must have a completed secondary education. The study is free of charge. The education is provided by top professionals in Slovakia, highly qualified lecturers certified by the Institute of Apiculture, Slovakia; university teachers from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra and the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice.
The school has created an e-learning portal with own educational materials, and state-of-the-art technology is available for both beginners and professionals during the practical lessons, which form 50 % of the educational process. The education is organised on weekends and holidays. For both Slovak and foreign students accommodation is provided at the school dormitory, board in the school canteen and own confectionery, bakery and meat products in the school shops. The school offers a variety of commercial activities and services for beekeepers, school staff organize trips to various beekeeping events, congresses, markets abroad and coordinate international projects and strategic partnerships focusing on safe treatment of bee colonies against diseases in the framework of ecological beekeeping and on apitherapy.
The pattern from previous years – having international teams guided by international facilitators – was continued in 2019. There were 29 participating countries, for the first time in IMYB history, representatives from all continents where bees live.
Representatives from Canada in America, Tasmania in Australia and Egypt in Africa were honoured with the personal gifts of the famous bee photographer Eric Tourneret – his rare book publications as well as books about Slovakia and Banska Bystrica.
The event combined a competition for young beekeepers aged 12 to 17 with a rich cultural and social programme.
After the solemn opening ceremony and lining up of all countries´ participants the 10th IMYB was officially started.
Adult participants, who accompanied the winning teams of their national contests, visited the historical building of the Town Hall and met the Mayor of Banska Bystrica, attended a guided tour of the historical city center and visit of The Museum of Slovak National Uprising, visits and lectures at the school’s apiaries in Baláže, Strelníky and Hybe , professional lectures about honeydew producers (Michal Počuch, Czech Republic) and about safe treatment of bee colonies in the thermal chamber against pests and enemies of bees, as Varroa destructor (Prof Wolfgang Wimmer, Austria). During the conference, team leaders shared their experience with working with the youth.
While during the two days young beekeepers completed challenging disciplines in the competition, every evening was filled with interesting interactive performances, dances, singing, in which young participants demonstrated their exceptional skills and talents in other areas such as beekeeping. They tried to bring others closer to their own countries.
As part of the program, young participants spent their free time on a trip to the Harmanecká Cave, to Nová Hoľa in Donovaly, by exploring the historical centre of Banská Bystrica and beautiful outlook from the leaning clock tower.
A large number of activities were organized directly at the school – the rocks that became part of the mandala created on the occasion of the IMYB were painted by the young people of their country’s flags, they played live soccer – „calcio fotbal“, rode horses, tried canistherapy and apitherapy and were discovering Slovak traditions and crafts during the craft marked at school area.

The closing ceremony was enhanced by the folklore ensemble Bystrina, whose members taught foreign participants to dance the traditional Slovak “hat dance”.
The awards were presented to the winners by honourable guests – Ján Lunter, Governor of Banská Bystrica region, Milan Rusnák, President of the Slovak Beekeepers Association and Pavel Fiľo, Director of SOŠ.
All participants expressed satisfaction and gratitude to the organizers. Behind their satisfaction was the responsible preparation and hard work of all employees of Secondary Vocational School Pod Bánošom in Banská Bystrica.
We keep our fingers crossed for our friends from Slovenia and next 11th IMYB .