About Bumble Bee Watch

What is Bumble Bee Watch?

Bumble Bee Watch is a collaborative effort to track and conserve North America’s bumble bees. This community science project allows for individuals to:

• Upload photos of bumble bees to start a virtual bumble bee collection;
• Identify the bumble bees in your photos and have your identifications verified by experts;
• Help researchers determine the status and conservation needs of bumble bees;
• Help locate rare or endangered populations of bumble bees;
• Learn about bumble bees, their ecology, and ongoing conservation efforts; and
• Connect with other community scientists.

How can you participate?

We need your help! Because these animals are widely distributed the best way to keep track of them is with a group of volunteers across the country equipped with cameras. With any luck, you might help us to find remnant populations of rare species before they go extinct. Participating in Bumble Bee Watch is simple and you can get started now by creating an account via the “sign in” tab at the top of the page. Once you have an account, go out and check your garden, in parks, or any other natural areas you frequent for bumble bees. Remember not to trespass as you search for bumble bees. Be sure to snap a photo (learn more about how to photograph bees) and then sign in and submit your data via our Bumble Bee Sightings form. Have fun while learning more about bumble bees and the vital role they play in our environment! If you’re interested in conducting more in-depth surveys, see if our Bumble Bee Atlas program is active in your state!

Other ways you can help:

• Create habitat! You can find more information about how to create bumble bee habitat at www.xerces.org/bumblebees.
• Support local and organic agriculture. Many pesticides are harmful to bumblebee colonies and many vegetable and fruit plants provide great food sources for bees.
• Spread the word! Many people are afraid of bumble bees and other insects. Let your friends and family know how important they are and encourage them to take photos too!

Partners

• Wildlife Preservation Canada
• The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
• Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University

Founding Partners and Scientific Advisors

• University of Ottawa
• Montreal Insectarium
• Natural History Museum, London
• BeeSpotter

Funders

• Alice C. Tyler Trust
• Charlotte Martin Foundation
• Endangered Species Chocolate
• Hind Foundation
• Horne Family Foundation
• Maki Foundation
• The Weston Family Foundation
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
• The New Land Foundation
• Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation
• The Schad Foundation
• Wildlife Preservation Canada donors
• Xerces Society members

Collaborators

Many individuals with significant expertise in the identification of bumble bees are helping to verify the identities of bumble bees in submitted photos. This project would not be possible without the contributions of these individuals. Many thanks to the following bumble bee experts:

• Jared Brabant of the University of Missouri
• Sheila Colla of York University
• Elaine Evans of the University of Minnesota
• Doug Golick of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln
• Laurie Hamon of the Xerces Society
• Tiffani Harrison of Wildlife Preservation Canada
• Rich Hatfield of the Xerces Society
• Sarah Johnson of Wildlife Preservation Canada
• Jon Koch of USDA Pollinating Insects Research Unit
• Katie Lamke of the Xerces Society
• Jeff Lozier of the University of Alabama
• Sarah MacKell of Wildlife Preservation Canada
• Molly Martin of the Xerces Society
• Victoria MacPhail of Guelph, Ontario
• Genevieve Pugesek of the Xerces Society
• Leif Richardson of Xerces Society
• Genevieve Rowe of Wildlife Preservation Canada
• Cory Sheffield of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum
• Jamie Strange of the Ohio State University.
• Hayley Tompkins of Wildlife Preservation Canada
• Paul Williams of the Natural History Museum, London

Dedication

We are grateful to the following individuals that contributed to Bumble Bee Watch, but are unfortunately no longer with us:

• Liz Day
• Robbin Thorp of the University of California, Davis