ScienceStingless bees offer hope for Amazon rainforest restoration in Peru

Beekeepers in Peru’s Madre de Dios region are using stingless Melipona bees to support the restoration of rainforest damaged by illegal gold mining and logging. One sanctuary houses more than 40,000 bees, which pollinate native trees needed for natural regeneration. Their honey also carries deep cultural importance for Indigenous Shipibo communities, who have used it as traditional medicine for generations. The initiative links environmental recovery with longstanding local knowledge in southeastern Peru.