In a region synonymous with wilderness, native bumblebees are being replaced by industrial worker bees—and ecosystems are paying the price.
Published on Biographic.com. September 2026. The Unwilding of Patagonia’s Pollinators
Made possible with funding from the Pulitzer Center and the Food and Environment Reporting Network.
Written by Jude Isabella. Visuals by Katrina Pyne.
Marina Arbetman, a biologist at the National University of Comahue in Bariloche, Argentina, has been studying Bombus dahlbomii since she arrived in Patagonia 30 years ago. In that time, she’s witnessed the alarming decline of the bumblebee.
Arbetman talked about the effects of domesticated B. terrestris with a manager at a berry field in Osorno, Chile. Most growers are unaware of the consequences of using non-native pollinators.
All media part of the original full story published in Hakai Magazine: The Unwilding of Patagonia’s Pollinators.
