A Balearic beekeeper has revealed she resigned as a clerk after her late dad-in-law and sister urged her to uphold the family’s environmental legacy.
Mallorca-based Paquita Rosselló decided to resign as a public servant to fully focus on the organic honey farm in the small town of Capdepera five years ago.
Speaking to local newspapers, the 48-year-old Spaniard said her late father-in-law had hoped his family would not abandon the organic beekeeping initiative he had launched many years ago.
When her cancer-stricken sister reminded her of his appeal, Paquita quit her office job.
Describing her passion, the Spanish apiculture enthusiast told the Ultima Hora newspaper: “My relationship with bees is a whole philosophy of life.”
Over the years, Paquita has rejected numerous lucrative offers to sell the 11-hectare estate. And recently, she registered an increasing number of requests for guided tours through her extensive organic garden.
The Majorcan apiarist does take schoolchildren and individuals around her very own organic paradise. But she vowed: “I won’t turn it into another theme park.”
Paquita’s Instagram account – Bee Lover Sanctuary – has been launched only a few weeks ago. However, it has already amassed more than 1,400 followers.
The environmentally conscious beekeeper does not just manage 50,000 indigenous Mallorcan honeybees, a subspecies originating from the Spanish bee and the Africanised bee. She also ensures healthy biodiversity on the property by planting flowers the pollinators prefer.
Paquita – who sells honey, wax, soaps and other products at local markets – told the Mallorca Zeitung: “To me, bees are much more than producers of honey. Their pollinating activities ensure the continued existence of plants.”
