NEBRASKA BUMBLE BEE ATLAS WORKSHOP 

The Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas is a statewide community science project aimed at tracking and conserving the state's native bumble bees. Join us in a two-part webinar series to learn about bumble bees, their conservation status and how to participate in the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas. The first session will dive into the fascinating world of bumble bees, covering basic life history and ecology, and the second session will explain how you can take on an active role in pollinator conservation by joining the Atlas.

In recent years, the story of vanishing bees has become a common theme in news reports and popular culture. In most cases, these reports have focused on the disappearance of honey bees, a non-native species introduced to North America from Europe. The larger, often underappreciated story is that while honey bees are a popular and important species, native wild bees are also suffering, and in some cases, their fates are far worse. This is particularly true of some of North America’s native bumble bees.

Nebraska is home to nearly 20 species of bumble bees that play an important role in sustaining the health of our environment by pollinating flowers in natural, urban and agricultural settings. However, many of them face an uncertain future, and Nebraska Game and Parks has identified four of the state’s bumble bees as Species of Greatest Conservation Need. With support from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Xerces Society teamed up to launch the Atlas project in 2019.

With your help, we can create an army of trained volunteers equipped with cameras and vials, and spread out across the state to survey for bumble bees. Your participation will allow us to quickly and efficiently collect high quality data, and contribute to the local, regional, and global understanding of bumble bee distributions.

This series will be delivered virtually as a way to recruit and train volunteers in response to the coronavirus as we practice safe physical distancing.* After attending this webinar series we hope you'll join forces with us for the upcoming survey season and do your part to help protect these vital pollinators. 

*We understand that the current situation with the coronavirus is constantly evolving and differs by community. We fully anticipate that we will be able to have a field season this year, but that situation could change quickly -- and differ by location. The most important consideration during this sensitive time is personal and community health. Please follow all relevant regulations and the advice of health care professionals when developing your survey plans for the Atlas. Don't hesitate to stay closer to home if that is the right thing for you and/or your community; the health of our volunteers is of paramount importance. Thank you!

Tuesday May 26th: Bumble Bee Conservation and an Intro to the Nebraska BBA                   6-7:30pm CDT

This first session will dive into the fascinating world of bumble bees! We will cover the basic life history and ecology of bumble bees, talk about some of the threats they face, as well as current conservation actions. Then we will introduce you to the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas, a statewide community science project aimed at tracking and conserving Nebraska's native bumble bees.

Thursday May 28th: How To Participate in the Nebraska BBA                                                     6-7:30pm CDT

After learning about the importance and value of bumble bees in the first session, we will shift our focus and learn how to register and particiapte in the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas. This session will show you how to adopt a grid cell, explain the sampling methods and techniques, and finish up with how to identify bumble bees. After this training, you will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence needed to conduct your own bumble bee surveys! 

We ask that webinar attendees use the acquired knowledge to participate in the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas, and help contribute to our global understanding of bumble bees. Together, we can help conserve our native wild pollinators!