AT: Native Bee Natural History and Conservation- NPSoT

Native Bee Natural History and Conservation
Michael Eckenfels, Texas Master Naturalist

Presentation Summary & Speaker’s Resume

Solitary native bees are not as well known to most people as honey bees and
bumble bees. We’ll touch on: basic natural history of bees, their biodiversity, the
importance of land stewardship/conservation, and gardening techniques that
support native bees and other pollinators.
Michael has attended native bee workshops with: Jepson Herbium/UC Berkley,
Eagle Hill Institute in Maine, The USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab
in Maryland, and the BOMBUS research seminar at The USDA Pollinating Insect
Lab in Logan Utah. He studied bee taxonomy at The Wetland and Aquatic Research
Center in Lafayette Louisiana under Mike Arduser and has attended every Texas
Pollinator PowWow seminar. He completed the MVES certification by TPWD/Tx Agilife.
Michael has served on the boards of the local chapters of: The Native Plant
Society of Texas, The North American Butterfly Association, and The Texas Master
Naturalist Program and has served several years on the NPSOTH Wildscapes
Workshop Committee.