AT: Xerces Society Webinar – Ecology & Conservation of Bumble Bees for Atlas Volunteers

Virtual.  April 13th 11a-1:30p CT.  To register for event see website here.

This webinar addresses bee population conservation efforts across multiple states to protect and restore habitat.

The nearly fifty species of bumble bees in North America are highly efficient pollinators of our natural areas and farm fields, making them essential to ecosystem function. Unfortunately, substantial declines in widespread and formerly common species have been reported. Between climate change, the widespread use of pesticides, habitat loss, and the amplification and spread of diseases from commercial bees, bumble bees face an uphill challenge to recover from observed declines, and repopulate areas where they’ve been lost. In this webinar we will discuss bumble bee ecology, how that interacts with ongoing conservation issues, and what we can all do to help. The good news is that we can all contribute. Beyond participating in our Bumble Bee Atlas projects (bumblebeeatlas.org), protecting, creating, and restoring habitat is the key. We’ll discuss how to provide critical aspects of habitat to benefit each stage of the life cycle, whether you have a small porch, or manage several acres. While this webinar is directed toward our Bumble Bee Atlas volunteers, anyone is welcome to join.

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