Conserving Wild Bees: Lessons from Costa Rica

A changing climate, pesticide use, and habitat loss threaten pollinator communities worldwide. With 75% of all crops dependent on pollination, agriculture, particularly in the tropics, is critically affected.

In Costa Rica, warming temperatures may be forcing pollinator species to shift their ranges to higher elevations, which could impact agricultural production. Last summer, Nicolas Barbieri, a Weston High School sophomore, volunteered with Earthwatch in Costa Rica assisting a research project examining bees at elevation, not only in the forested areas, but in nearby coffee farms. The ongoing project also aims to understand the most effective way to restore pollinator diversity and pollination services in the tropics and includes an experimental test of one restoration approach.

Nico will share the project learnings and his experiences in the cloud forest of Monteverde. Lessons relevant to our country will also be discussed.

In October 2022, Costa Rica became the first Central American country to commit to a National Strategy for the Protection of Bees.

This program is sponsored by the Weston Public Library and supported by the Weston Plant Pollinator Alliance.