Essential for the preservation of fauna and flora, bees do not always receive the attention they deserve in their role in protecting the environment. But this is not the case at Unicamp. The University, through the Environment Division (DMA) of the University City Hall, carries out a series of actions that were recorded in video reports carried out by the Executive Secretariat for Communication (SEC). The series draws attention to the date of June 5th, when World Environment Day is celebrated.
Species preservation actions, environmental education and mapping of bee colonies that inhabit the campus, in Barão Geraldo, among other activities, are coordinated by veterinarian Paulo de Tarso Gerace da Rocha e Silva, technical responsible for the Animal Monitoring Center (Cema -DMA).
Cema teams have already cataloged around 400 hives installed on campus, most of them without stingers. They are bees native to Brazil, which spread throughout various parts of the University, such as trees, water tanks and cracks in walls. Those of the Apis genus have also been found, which are more aggressive and currently occupy an area with restricted access in the DMA. This area also contains colonies that were removed from sectors of the campus unsuitable for their presence.
On the eve of World Bee Day, May 20th, the reporting team followed one of the bee protection and preservation actions carried out by the Cema team. It was a complex operation, involving heavy equipment and specialized professionals to remove a colony weighing almost 200 kg, installed in a tree in the nursery area of the Early Childhood and Complementary Education Division (Dedic).
The colony was at the top of the tree, which would be cut down due to the risks it posed to children. The removal of the bees had to be done beforehand, to ensure the integrity of the colony. To carry out the removal, it was necessary to prepare the DMA preservation area, where the colony would be taken, ensuring the distance between sections of trunks that housed other species. The action began in the late afternoon and ended around midnight, having been successful. The bees removed from the Arapuá species are now safe in the environmental preservation area.
Another report will show the mapping of species found on the Barão Geraldo campus. Bees are identified and registered through an application. All data will be made available to the academic community, for teaching, research and extension activities.
The series also includes a record of the bee preservation course, offered openly and free of charge to the academic community and which is part of the “Sustainability Trail” courses, created by the School of Corporate Education (Educorp). The intention is to disseminate information about native stingless species and their importance as markers of a balanced, healthy and sustainable environment. The course will have two more editions, one in September and another in November, also open and free.
A sexagenarian fig tree
In addition to the reports on bee preservation and conservation actions, the SEC teams took advantage of their visit to the Environmental Division of the Barão Geraldo campus to show a sixty-year-old fig tree that has occupied the area since before Unicamp existed.
The tree is a Ficus elastica, a species originating from India, which was planted by a family member of a former DMA employee more than 60 years ago. The place belonged to a Japanese family. The fig tree, with a circumference of around 20 meters and a height of 26 meters, was embraced by 15 people, in honor of World Environment Day.
Watch the article about the course offered by Environment Division:
Watch the article about hugging the sexagenarian fig tree:
Watch the article about the removal of a bee colony in an area close to Dedic:
Watch the article about mapping bee colonies on the campus in Barão Geraldo:
