The Beekeeping Park

Born from the meeting of different generations, the Montanari Bertoniani Association was established in 2003 in Montebello di Bertona (PE) with the intention of promoting the territory through activities ranging from the preservation of peasant civilization to the enhancement of the mountain from the point of view hiking and landscape.

Over time, the association has felt the need and urgency to broaden its horizons, also dedicating itself to the issue of biodiversity conservation. Thus began, at the stinzia Bertoniana (a typical shelter used by farmers, shepherds and charcoal burners, located at 1,000 m a.s.l. and recovered with the voluntary work of the members), various projects, including the creation of a synergistic vegetable garden, around which BeeOdiversity Park was built.

The park aims to be a garrison for the protection of biodiversity in line with the Objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and with the project to protect the local Ligurian honey bee launched by the municipalities of Farindola and Montebello di Bertona. In order to study the different behavior of the bees inside the DB and TopBar hives, two monitoring systems have been installed consisting of scales and sensors that record and allow remote observation of the vital parameters of the hive such as: weight, external temperature and internal humidity, internal humidity and sound spectrum/intensity of the swarm. The data collected is freely accessible by anyone who wants to study the evolution of beehives.

There are many bees, just like there are many flowers that rely on them to be pollinated and reproduced. There are honeybees, bumblebees, osmias and many others. They are social, gregarious or solitary insects and all together they guarantee the conservation of biodiversity. These insects therefore have a great ecological role. What threatens them is a danger to all forms of life, including man, who owes them more than a third of his food.

Getting to know these organisms and identifying the threats that put their survival at risk was the theme of the 2021 edition of the Bee Natural Festival, which took place from 6 to 8 August at the BeeOdiversity Park in Montebello di Bertona (PE) in the heart of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. Three days full of appointments, including conferences, laboratories and citizen science activities. The Festival takes place every year with a different theme.