Bees, sentinels of environmental quality
In Val Rendena, nature speaks also through the silent flight of bees.
The project “Mapping the Environmental Quality of Val Rendena,” promoted by the Val Rendena Beekeepers Association in collaboration with the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, and supported by the Municipality of Pinzolo, the Tourism Board, and the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, uses the honeybee as a natural indicator to monitor the health of the territory.
Thanks to a network of 11 monitoring stations, from Madonna di Campiglio to Porte di Rendena, bees collect tiny traces of the environment every day through pollen. The analyses allow researchers to detect the presence of chemical residues and heavy metals, as well as to study the botanical biodiversity that characterizes the valley.
This scientific work produces a map of the environmental quality of Val Rendena, useful for guiding increasingly sustainable decisions and policies. It is a shared commitment to protect the health of bees, people, and the landscape that surrounds us.
A small but significant example of how science and nature can work together, transforming the flight of a bee into a message of balance and respect for the Alpine environment.
