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22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Stingless bees Meliponiculturist

Boa Vista Da Acará, 2023. A portrait of a meliponiculturist of the community of Boa Vista do Acará. The members of the Community are small farmers with lower income, the honey production is a side income respect the main activities. The stingless bee’s hives request a low management and maintenance and the bees are easy to handle since they don’t sting. The native Brazilian stingless bees are fundamental for maintenance of the ecosystem; especially today, that with climate change and deforestation the Amazon Forest is at risk the stingless bees act as protector of the forest allowing new trees to grow and replace the ones that disappeared because of the human hand. The bees colonies aren’t captured from the wild but are multiply from a Melliponiculture breeding site managed by the NGO.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 12.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2024
Photo Location: Belem, Brazil
Camera: X1D II 50C
Copyright: © tommaso rada