Intended Audience
This training is provided for anyone who has a curiosity for bumble bees and flowers, and an interest in contributing to an important community science project to provide a better understanding of the status of native bumble bees in Missouri.This is a free online training.
Participants are asked to use the knowledge and skills provided by the training to participate in the Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas.
When
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM CT (Central Time)
-and-
Thursday, May 13, 2021 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM CT (Central Time)
Where
This is an online event.
Karina Contreras, The Xerces Society
(503) 232-6639, Ext. 123
karina.contreras@xerces.org
Katie Lamke, The Xerces Society
katie.lamke@xerces.org
Reasonable Accommodations
The Xerces Society is an equal-opportunity provider and employer, and provides reasonable accommodations for in-person events.
This webinar will be recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel for viewing. There may be closed captioning available in the YouTube settings.
Zoom offers some accessibility features for attendees as well. Visit the following Zoom links for
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to our partners: Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Pheasants Forever, Missouri Quail Forever, and the University of Missouri.
About the Xerces Society
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is a trusted source for science-based information and advice. We collaborate with people and institutions at all levels and our work to protect pollinators encompasses all landscapes. Our team draws together experts from the fields of habitat restoration, entomology, botany, and conservation biology with a single focus—protecting the life that sustains us. To learn more about our work, visit www.xerces.org.
Photo Credit
Banner: Jennifer Hopwood/Xerces Society
Side bar photo: Katie Lamke/Xerces Society
MISSOURI BUMBLE BEE ATLAS WORKSHOP
Online Workshop: Bumble Bee Conservation, Identification, and How to Participate in the Atlas
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 & Thursday May 13, 2021 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM CT (Central Time)
Please join us in a collaborative effort to track and conserve Missouri's native bumble bees through this two-part virtual training!
The Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas is a statewide community science project aimed at tracking and conserving our native bumble bees. Join us in this two-part workshop to learn about bumble bee biology, their conservation status, how to identify the species found in Missouri, and how to participate in the Atlas. This workshop will equip you with the skills needed to conduct an Atlas survey, including how to net and photograph bumble bees, and how to submit your findings to the project. The Atlas is a catch-and-release project so no bumble bees are harmed during the surveys.
Anyone with an interest in supporting pollinators is encouraged to join - No experience is necessary to participate in the Atlas.
Session I and Session II registration are separate, please register for both if you wish to attend both:
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Prior to this event, please visit the Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas website to view the Training Packet. These materials will referenced in the online workshop and are available here:
COURSE AGENDA
Session I - Tuesday, May 11, 2021 - 6 PM - 8 PM CT
The first session will cover the ins and outs of bumble bees, including their biology, their value to ecosystems, the threats they face, and their conservation status. Then we will provide an introduction to the Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas.
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Session II - Thursday May 13, 2021 - 6 PM - 8 PM CT
The second session will dive into detail on the bumble bee species found in Missouri and how to identify them, and lay out the steps for participating in the Atlas. We will teach you the process of conducting a field survey, including how to net, photograph, and release bumble bees unharmed, and how to record and submit your findings.
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 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.
The variety of Missouri ecosystems support more than 10 species of bumble bees. Unfortunately, a few of these species, such as the Southern Plains bumble bee, are experiencing decline and face uncertain future. Missouri Department of Conservation, Quail and Pheasants Forever, the University of Missouri and the Xerces Society have collaborated to launch a community science project to collect data to better understand the status of our native bumble bees.Please join this project and help collect critical information on Missouri's bumble bees. With your help, we can create a team of trained volunteers equipped with cameras and vials, and collect bumble bee data throughout our region. Your participation will allow us to quickly and efficiently cover the state, collect scientific quality data, and contribute to local, regional, and global understanding of bumble bee distributions. This is a catch-and-release project, no bees are harmed.
This two-part 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!
INSTRUCTOR
Katie Lamke, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, The Xerces Society
Katie joined the Xerces Society in 2019 to work on bumble bee conservation initiatives. Based in the Midwest, her main role is to coordinate, educate, and engage people in community science projects—the Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas and the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas— that help track and conserve bumble bees. Katie earned a bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University (Environmental Biology) and a master's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Entomology), where she focused on wild bee diversity and their floral associations within Tallgrass prairies. Katie has both a skillset and passion for identifying wild bees that has been professionally developed for species in the Northern Plains. She is enthusiastic about pollinator ecology and is committed to raising awareness about the conservation of wild bees.
PARTNERS
The Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas is a collaborative effort between the Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Pheasants and Quail Forever, University of Missouri and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
