Foundation · Breda

Het Conservatoire for the native honey bee

We protect the native dark honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) against hybridisation — through natural beekeeping and space for wild colonies in the forest.

Support us About the foundation

Nine people in medieval dress beneath a tree with a log hive, on the founding day of Het Conservatoire — Whit Monday: the foundation was established on Nassaudag in Breda, in honour of the royal family.

Children and adults in medieval dress walking through a green forest

The Oude Nassaubossen bee landscape

Connected landscape restoration around Breda, with the dark bee in its wild state.

Der Bienenfreund by Hans Thoma: a boy in an orchard reaches towards bees on a flowering branch

Natural beekeeping course

Learn to understand bees: the official NBV introductory course, with the recognised NBV certificate on completion.

Piet Verkooijen, the foundation’s breeding coordinator, beside the colonies on the mating island in the Zuid-Hollandse Delta

News

Registration open for the 2027 introductory natural beekeeping course

Honey bees gathered around the entrance to a hollow in a tree trunk — Honey bees at the entrance to a tree hollow.

Five people in beekeeping suits and protective hats stand on a green slope under a blue sky — The women beekeepers of Bavel.

Map of Europe and neighbouring areas showing the distribution of honey bee subspecies; Mellifera is shown in orange — Distribution map of honey bee subspecies.

Our sponsors

With thanks to our sponsors, who support the work of Stichting Het Conservatoire.

Rabobank Breda Amerstreek
Provincie Noord-Brabant
Rijkswaterstaat
SVD Missiehuis
Teteringen
Foto: Ger Barbiers, Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons
Heerstaaijen
Strijbeek
Foto: G.Lanting (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons
Ann's Hoeve
Haagse Beemden