Buzzing Together: The Bumble Bee Atlas and the Power of Community Science

Bug Banter with the Xerces Society

Community science is critical to conservation efforts and the Bumble Bee Atlas is no exception. Volunteers across the country have contributed to the Atlas program through bumble bee surveys, providing crucial information on bumble bee abundance and distribution. This information informs conservation efforts and makes a real difference.

To tell us more about the Bumble Bee Atlas are two of our newest Atlas coordinators, Amy Dolan and Michelle Toshack. Between them they cover much of the Rocky Mountain and intermountain regions. Amy coordinates the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas in Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Amy has a master’s degree in entomology from Montana State University, where she studied bumble bees, and has a background in science education. Michelle covers Montana, and has a masters in biological sciences from Simon Fraser University, where she researched pollinator biodiversity and the impacts of farming practices on bumble bees. She has a background in field biology and managing community science projects.

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.