Help researchers study rare and declining pollinators
Elaine Evans, Extension Educator
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Volunteer with a male bumble bee. Males can't sting! Photo: Jen Larson |
Are you aware that bees and other pollinators play a crucial role
in keeping food on our plates and on the plates of countless other creatures
who depend on the plants they pollinate?
Have you planted more flowers to help pollinators and taken other steps to make your yard more pollinator friendly?
Have you planted more flowers to help pollinators and taken other steps to make your yard more pollinator friendly?
If so, you may be ready for the next step: help us learn more
about rare pollinators by volunteering to monitor their populations. The
more rare a species becomes, the more difficult it is for researchers to find
the information needed to protect them.
Here are three ways you can help monitor rare pollinators this summer...
Here are three ways you can help monitor rare pollinators this summer...
1.
Join the Minnesota Bumble Bee Survey
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Volunteer with bees in a jar Photo: Elaine Evans |
We usually see a few rusty patched bumble bees as well as other rare bumble bees! Mark you calendar with our dates and show up to help (just check on Facebook first for last minute weather plans).
https://www.facebook.com/minnesotabumblebeesurvey/
2. Take photos of bumble bees and share them with www.bumblebeewatch.org
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Rusty patched bumble bee on boneset Photo: Heather Holm |
Through bumble bee watch, we have found several new locations for the endangered rusty patched bumble bee as well as the first record of the rare Bombus frigidus in MN since 1939!
3. Find or plant milkweed and monitor for monarchs with
the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
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5th instar monarch caterpillar on swamp milkweed Photo: Candy Sarikonda |
All these opportunities give researchers important data, give you with a chance to learn more about the biology of these important creatures, all while connecting with nature on lovely summer days.