• Expeditions
  • Conserving Wild Bees and Other Pollinators of Costa Rica

Conserving Wild Bees and Other Pollinators of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is home to over 400 species of native wild bees and about 50 species of hummingbirds, but habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change threaten these essential pollinators.

More than three-quarters of the world’s crops depend on pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. These animals provide essential ecosystem services and play a crucial role in the production of many fruits and vegetables. But a changing climate, pesticide use, and habitat loss or degradation threaten pollinator communities, although the full impact of these threats is not well understood. For example, warming temperatures could force pollinator species to shift their ranges to higher elevations, which could impact agricultural production, or it could be that a changing climate will cause these species to disappear altogether.

One way to mitigate the effects of climate change is by planting “agroforests”—or forests that grow in pastures around or among crops—that could benefit pollinator communities. As part of this expedition, you will work with local communities to plant trees to create agroforests, which could not only help pollinator communities, but could provide livelihoods for low-income families in the region.

In the rugged tropical forests of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, you will join the research team to investigate how threats to bees and butterflies will affect the critical pollination services they provide.

For more information or to book contact our office (03) 9016 7590 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Reviews

  • Activity Level: Moderate
  • Location: San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica
  • Lead Scientist:

    Valerie Peters, Ph.D.

From $2,495 USD
Duration: 7 days

Sign up for our newsletter


About Us

T (03) 9016 7590
E
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Earthwatch Institute Australia is a registered charity. Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.

ABN 25 875 253 851

Earthwatch Australia acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which our company is located and where we conduct our business. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present.

Earthwatch Australia is committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to Australian and global society. We recognise that sovereignty over these lands and waters was never ceded

© 2023 Earthwatch Institute. All rights reserved.