We are committed to the conservation of native bees, the habitat that they need, and the communities that they serve.
Tracking Bee Populations
We have been tracking wild pollinator populations since 2014. Our projects include long-term surveys monitoring the effectiveness of habitat restoration, as well as regional observations of potentially threatened species.
Reference Collection
In addition to the specimens collected during our surveys, we inherited the University of Washington collection of native bees when the Department of Biology liquidated its entomology laboratory. We intend to develop the collection into a regional resource for other researchers, students, and artists.
Education
We are active in teaching the Puget Sound community about its native bees, from school groups to plant society workshops. In partnership with the Common Acre, we co-produced a pocket guide to the Bees of the Puget Sound Lowlands.
Once the season of Covid-19 has passed, we plan to offer training in the identification of native bees.
Ground Nesting Bees
Most native bee species nest underground. Many people don’t recognize the importance of nesting habitat to native bees, and limit their conservation efforts to foraging resources like wildflowers and flowering trees.
We are committed to promoting conservation of ground nesting bees. We also work with farmers to develop land management practices that will increase local pollination services, making local farms more resilient to possible shortages of managed honey bees.
