A researcher from Laurentian University is embarking on a project utilizing honey bees to aid in environmental restoration efforts at the Côté Gold Mine near Gogama, Ontario. Mateus Pepinelli secured a $100,000 grant from IAMGOLD to collaborate on a two-year research initiative. The bees will be tasked with gathering environmental DNA from the reclamation areas surrounding the mine site.
Describing the honey bees as “research assistants,” Pepinelli explained that they will collect vital data for the project. This summer, Pepinelli and a team from IAMGOLD will establish three apiaries near the mine’s remediation zones. Each apiary will be equipped with a small fan containing a filter designed to capture DNA traces brought back by the bees.
The next step involves Pepinelli and his team retrieving the filters from the apiaries to extract and analyze the environmental DNA in a laboratory setting. This process allows for the identification of various plant species, micro-organisms, and potential threats like varroa mites.
Jessica Tratnik, the environmental and social governance lead at the Côté Gold Mine, expressed the importance of utilizing data obtained from the honey bees to monitor the progress of rehabilitation efforts. The insights derived from the bees’ activities can help assess ecological changes and guide future rehabilitation strategies.
IAMGOLD’s Vice President of Investor Relations, Graeme Jennings, highlighted the mine’s long-term operational plans, emphasizing its significance as a “generational mine.” Tratnik stressed the ongoing nature of land rehabilitation to ensure timely restoration and environmental stewardship.