• June 2023 - The Commission of Agriculture of the Peruvian Congress has approved the legal recognition of stingless bees in Peru - for the first time! This petition will now be debated by the full Congress to decide if it becomes a national law. This modification of the law will enable local authorities to support stingless beekeepers and make it a priority to protect their ecosystems.

• December 2023 - We are conducting preliminary analyses to test GPS equipment to create the first species map of stingless bees in the Peruvian Amazon

In collaboration with Peruvian scientist and bee expert, Cesar Delgado, we have:

• September 2023 - Our first article on the chemical composition of stingless bee honey in the Peruvian Amazon has been published (see here)

• October 2023 - Submitted a publication on the ethnoknowledge of the Ashaninka people on stingless bees (under revision) - indigenous leaders are co-authors of this publication, a win we are proud of as a way to further elevate and protect traditional knowledge

• February 2023 - We are supporting beekeepers of the San Francisco community (descendent of the Kukama-kukamiria indigenous group) to legally register their family businesses to sell sustainable stingless bee honey in local markets and to provide bee-based ecotourism services. These efforts are benefitting over 100 community members and have resulted in increased bee biodiversity, increased number of medicinal trees planted, and restoration of their ecosystem.

• August 2023 - We are mentoring 2 Peruvian students in stingless bee research and conservation efforts to inspire the next generation of leaders

• July 2023 - Our work was recently highlighted in the Stakeholders Magazine, the largest sustainability platform in Peru; and in local print newspapers in the Amazon

• Our efforts have been previously shared in National Geographic Magazine, Bee Culture, Tree Hugger, ABC Studios and more.