Bee Day: 3Bee 10,000 Oases for Pollinators

At 3Bee, we have taken on an important task: not only to protect wild bees, but to provide them with a safe and nutritious haven in which to thrive. We are proud to announce that we have created as many as 123 pollinator oases throughout Italy, each one a living testimony to our commitment to these vital creatures.

Our oases, spread across all Italian regions, offer a healthy and protected environment for pollinators. They consist of nectariferous plants that provide bees with the nourishment they need, shrubs that offer shelter and protection, and structures specially created to house these precious insects.

Each oasis consists of between 100 and 10,000 plants of high ecosystem value, and are cared for by experienced farmers and beekeepers (biodiversity cultivators). Each oasis is monitored by ESA satellites and equipped with sensors to monitor the fauna.

The preservation of bees is a commitment that can and should involve all of us, both as individuals and as companies. If you are an individual, you can contribute by adopting a tree within our oases. You will have the opportunity to follow its growth and witness its evolution through photos and updates in your personal virtual oasis. Companies, on the other hand, can adopt an entire oasis, turning it into a strategic asset that will testify to their commitment to sustainability and biodiversity. Big names such as Foxy, Genagricola and DHL have already chosen to join us in this mission. Let's not leave the bees alone. With your participation, our oases will continue to grow, supporting the well-being of pollinators and contributing to the creation of a unique pollinator trail in Italy - the first of its kind in the world. Your choice today can make a big difference for the future of our planet.

On the eve of bee day, 19 May 2023 saw the conclusion of our first biodiversity summit, realised and promoted by 3Bee. At the conclusion of our first 3Bee Biodiversity Summit, it became urgently clear how urgently we need to accelerate our efforts to safeguard our planet. We set bold goals to be achieved not by 2030, but within 2 years. Time is running out and we cannot delay any longer.

Our goal is to monitor 30 million hectares of land: a challenging goal considering that we currently have only 5% of this area under observation. We want to create 10,000 Biodiversity Oases, capable of absorbing 10 million tonnes of CO2 and providing space for 1 billion pollinators. At the moment, we have only achieved 1.3% of this target, but we are convinced that, with the support of businesses and companies, we can achieve it.

Lombardy shines as the region with the highest number of Nectar Oases in the whole of Italy, with a total of 23 oases acting as beacons guiding the entire country towards a more sustainable future. The first and most important of our allies is Michele Contini, a beekeeper and farmer dedicated to the cultivation of biodiversity. Thanks to his tireless commitment, we have been able to create numerous oases and successfully promote 3Bee's research projects.

The warmth and enthusiasm of the people of Lombardy towards our mission really surprised us: the availability for adoptions has unfortunately already been exhausted. The exceptional involvement of companies and citizens has exceeded all our expectations, allowing us to spread our message and achieve our goal in an extraordinarily short time. The success in Lombardy is a clear sign that our vision is shared and supported.

Despite its natural wealth, Piedmont is a region that has suffered a serious impact in terms of biodiversity. Famous for its extensive rice fields, the region is also home to vast forests of acacia, chestnut and lime trees, while rhododendrons thrive in the mountains. However, these natural riches are not enough to compensate for the damage caused by intensive agriculture and urbanisation. These factors have transformed many areas of Piedmont into agricultural deserts, devoid of the variety of life that once characterised these landscapes. It is therefore essential to take concrete action to recover and protect the biodiversity of this important region.

This is why Piedmont is an area where 3Bee has created 9 biodiversity oases. Piedmont is also very dense with beekeepers and many of them over-exploit honey bees. This is why 3Bee has obliged to reduce the number of honey bees and increase plant biodiversity!

Sicily is a treasure trove of biodiversity, with a variety of flora and fauna that has no equal in Italy. This island is an emblem of biodiversity that enchants the entire world. However, we could not help but compromise it. Sicily continues to be ravaged by fires, in what has been described as a conflict against the flames, but is actually a massacre of biodiversity, beauty, legality, future and resources. In the midst of the fire emergency, citizens, armed only with shovels, attempted to extinguish the fires. When they sought the help of the municipality, they discovered that the only car bomb could not intervene because it was broken. This is why in Sicily, too, we wanted to preside over 12 Biodiversity Oases, which will help restore the burnt areas and help the bees in this war.

Italy is a kaleidoscope of life, with a flora that includes 1,169 Bryophytes (297 Epatiche and Antocerote and 872 Mosses), 2,704 Lichens and no less than 8,195 entities of Vascular Plants. It is also home to over 50,000 animal species, a mosaic of biodiversity that stretches across land and air, salt water and fresh water. Tuscany is the second most biodiverse region in Italy! This extraordinary wealth, however, is not always obvious to the naked eye. Despite its richness of life, Tuscany faces significant challenges due to the vast areas of monoculture for wine production. These areas, subjected to the use of pesticides and characterised by a nectar shortage, have put pollinators and the entire ecosystem in serious difficulty. To solve this problem, we are creating oases near these fields, with the aim of restoring the natural balance. 6 oases have been planted and 100 more are planned!