Back in 1992 I had a dream I was in a plane flying over a jetty looking down on beautiful turquoise water, and palm trees, I turned to my mother sat next to me in the dream and said 'That's Cocos Keeling, it's paradise, and just off the isle of Wight'. This was the beginning of a life long quest for these islands, did they really exist, and if so where. Fast forward to 2020, and following a chance meeting with a descendant of the Clunies Ross family, we travelled to these remote Australian Indian ocean territory islands to meet the beekeepers.
The islands had never had a bee audit and honey bees were introduced there in the 1940s by a Royal Airforce member stationed on the islands.
Intrigued by the remote location, and on a quest for finding what truly makes healthy bees, and the purest honey, Paula and her husband returned in April 2024 to set up a bee research project. Studying bees in the wild here, and in hives, enables us to understand how have they adapted, and can bees live sustainably without having new queens introduced?
Since arriving Paula has begun her bee audit, and found THREE other species of bees, solitary bees that may have been here for hundreds of years, arriving on drift wood.
Home island is the home of the Clunies Ross family dynasty, disbanded in 1984 when the resident Islamic Cocos Malay community voted for 'self determination' and to be part of the Australian population.
Paula is teaching the locals sustainable beekeeping, and the benefits of apitherapy and honey according to the 16th chapter of the Quran, where Allah gave his wisdom to the bees to pass onto humans.
In this pristine, remote and beautiful location, past traumas, and future uncertainties, with climate and proposed runway development, provide the backdrop for a microcosm of all the worlds problems.
Can the bees heal the past and create a positive future?
Paula's calling to these islands has been a life time mission, and with a life time of experiences, as an artist, a remarkable health recovery from Ehlers Danlos, and then her global work as a bee consultant and honey sommelier, makes the timing perfect.
By researching and documenting this adventure, the lessons learned and stories shared will help to heal the collective consciousness, worldwide. The finished documentary will be licensed to a major platform, and is sure to be of great interest worldwide.
So far the project has been self funded by Paula Carnell and her consultancy business, now for the next stage, Paula wants to bring out the camera crew to produce high quality footage to use for a trailer and the first episode.
Supporters of this project can expect the reward of knowing that this important citizen research will help to save the bees, and the health of humanity. What happens on Cocos has relevance to us all.
Regular membership supporters receive access to Paula's Whatsapp group and up to date footage as it happens, as well as access to Paula's Online Foundation Sustainable beekeeping course.
Perks
- 0 ordered
- 50 remaining
Receive a personally written postcard from Paula, sent from Cocos Keeling. Images of tropical beaches, collectable stamps, and Paula's personalised message, a reward to keep and inspire you to live your dreams, and that the sun is always shining somewhere!
Ask Paula whatever you want, about bees, Cocos, honey, health or travel. A mutually suitable time will be arranged for a zoom or facetime whilst Paula is on Cocos Keeling.
Thank you from us and the bees! Your donation really helps us to real our goal of creating a wonderfully inspiring and informative documentary, sharing wisdom from the bees
Feature in our documentary! We're sharing the story of the bees, and my journey, the calling, to come here to this remote territory. As a valued donation, we will find a role for you, it could be here on Cocos, if you plan to visit, or back in the UK, or even through a zoom snippet. Depending on the relevance of your connection to the story, it may not be speaking. We will find a mutually acceptable way to include you. This will also mean you will receive an invitation to the opening night preview of the documentary.
Receive a digital version of my book 'Artist to Bees' . You will receive an email with the download instructions
- 0 ordered
- 50 remaining
Receive a personally written postcard from Paula, sent from Cocos Keeling. Images of tropical beaches, collectable stamps, and Paula's personalised message, a reward to keep and inspire you to live your dreams, and that the sun is always shining somewhere!
Ask Paula whatever you want, about bees, Cocos, honey, health or travel. A mutually suitable time will be arranged for a zoom or facetime whilst Paula is on Cocos Keeling.
Thank you from us and the bees! Your donation really helps us to real our goal of creating a wonderfully inspiring and informative documentary, sharing wisdom from the bees
Feature in our documentary! We're sharing the story of the bees, and my journey, the calling, to come here to this remote territory. As a valued donation, we will find a role for you, it could be here on Cocos, if you plan to visit, or back in the UK, or even through a zoom snippet. Depending on the relevance of your connection to the story, it may not be speaking. We will find a mutually acceptable way to include you. This will also mean you will receive an invitation to the opening night preview of the documentary.
Receive a digital version of my book 'Artist to Bees' . You will receive an email with the download instructions
