Located in Mortagne-au-Perche (Normandy) since 1901, Cire Trudon’s 20th century factory is part of the Perche regional Nature Park. This protected area includes 88 municipalities and spreads over nearly 195,000 hectares in the Orne and Eure-et-Loir districts in France’s Centre-Val de Loire region. The Nature Park’s mission is to protect the environment, through actions that help preserve its biodiversity, water resources as well as guide a sustainable urban growth. It likewise seeks to raise awareness of and devotion to the local patrimony and turn them into viable assets for sustainable development: to preserve and highlight the regional patrimony to make it a factor that will encourage loyalty and sustainably is also at stake.

With its roots in the territory, Maison Trudon’s participation in a project to protect local endangered species makes perfect sense. In 2018 the company already committed financially to the Nature Park in a measure to preserve the region’s biodiversity. In partnership with the local Orne Dark Bee Conservatory, Maison Trudon helps protect the European dark bee (apis mellifera mellifera), an endemic species and an essential link in the region’s biodiversity chain, key to the survival of all species. Today the European dark bee is threatened by intensive agriculture and industrial beekeeping practices. The partnership comes as the perfect illustration of Cire Trudon’s moto since 1643: “Deo regique laborant,” or “They (the bees) work for God and the King.” Led by its director, Denis Guillemin, the Perche Nature Park monitors and preserves patrimony and ecology, man and history. Located by the magnificent Manor of Courboyer, a crown jewel of the Perche county’s 15th-century architectural heritage, the Park’s main grounds house the heart of the conservancy program with 12 beehives.

“Perche beekeepers have always protected the dark bee. It is a patrimony that we must preserve and maintain today for future generations in the name of biodiversity. In the face of challenges like climate change and globalization, beekeepers need this exceptional genetic legacy. This is why the Nature Park stands with defenders of this insect that helps safeguard our environment.”
Denis Guillemin, Director of the Perche Natural Park

The Orne Dark Bee Conservatory is a key player in the Nature Park. Its main goal is to monitor the genetic pool of the local dark bee populations, in conditions that resemble as closely as possible life in the wild. This commitment seeks to guarantee the bee’s presence as a vital pollinator – a presence that is diminishing greatly – and the gradual reintroduction of this hardy species. Maison Trudon is joining forces with the Orne Dark Bee Conservatory, because it feels as strongly as the conservatory about the values of conservation and good beekeeping practices as they relate to the life habits of the dark bee.

“Genetic protection of the Perche dark bee was officially created in 2016 and authenticated by France’s National Centre for Scientific Research, after it carried out vital genetic analyses. Its goal is to ensure the continued existence of this ancient and native bee that is threatened with extinction.” “The objective is to insure survival of a substantial population, with a minimum of operations on our part, in a vast and highly protected territory that is home to many colonies. Best of all, through our protection measures we can reproduce the colonies and spread them among the many beekeepers who want them in their hives.”Raymond Daman, Beekeeper & Head of the Orne Dark Bee Conservatory

Maison Trudon is committed to this project: it participates directly and financially in the establishment of conservancy actions. In addition, 4 percent of all sales of the Maison’s Cire candle will go toward the project.