20,000 new research assistants will start at Puistokatu 4 – the project outlines the biodiversity of Kaivopuisto
Welcome to meet Puistokatu 4’s research bees! Our flying assistans produce not only research data but also delicious honey.
A beehive has been brought to the yard of Puistokatu 4. The bees work as research assistants in a project that outlines the biodiversity of the Kaivopuisto area by studying the bees’ honey.
“We find the DNA of plants, bacteria and fungi in honey, and we can see what kind of flowering plants the environment of Kaivopuisto offers to bees at different stages of the summer and to what extent”, says project researcher Lotta Kaila, who works at Science Attic of Puistokatu 4.
With the help of the collected data, the group can, for example, propose plants for pollinators that are missing in the Kaivopuisto area.
“Research bees are the most insightful way to tell about the role of pollinators in building an ecologically sustainable future. The project wonderfully combines the shared goal of The Tiina and Antti Herlin Foundation and The Nessling Foundation to implement the research results for the benefit of the planet” says Puistokatu 4’s Executive Director Minttu Jaakkola.
Culinary pleasures and information dissemination
In addition to research data, the bees at Puistokatu 4 produce delicious honey. After the project’s honey analysis is completed in the fall, there’ll be honey tastings at Puistokatu 4, where the results of the project will be shared.
Research nests can also be used to tell school groups, for example, about the importance of biodiversity for humans and the rest of nature.
“We hope that in the future research bees will take over urban areas beyond Puistokatu. With the help of larger data, we can make interpretations of urban structures and how to make them more sustainable in terms of the planet, people and other species”, Lotta Kaila sums up.
Project members:
Lotta Kaila, University of Helsinki
Tiina Rinne, Aalto University
Helena Wirta, University of Helsinki
Aapo Reuter, Humblebee Housing Project
