As pollinators of native plants, bumble bees play a key role in structuring ecosystems, and they are critical pollinators of agricultural crops. Bumble bees are negatively impacted by habitat loss, agricultural practices, and climate change, with one-quarter of species native to North America now threatened with extinction. California is a bee biodiversity hotspot and the California Bumble Bee Atlas is a community science project to inventory these important pollinators. Please join us for a fun field walk as we learn to catch and identify bumble bees and explore how we can promote their populations.
Presenter
Leif Richardson is a conservation biologist with the California Bumble Bee Atlas, a project of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Logistics
We will meet at 10:00 in front of the Yorkville post office (25400 Highway 128) in southern Mendocino County. There we will form carpools to drive up to the Preserve. We will need AWD or 4-wheel drive vehicles on the Preserve, so if you have one and are willing to drive, please let me know.
Participants must sign a waiver upon arrival. All minors must be accompanied by a legal guardian or a group leader who can legally take on that role (e.g., Girl Scout group). Pets and smoking are not permitted.
We will be walking over uneven and potentially steep ground in forested areas, but the walk will not be strenuous–perhaps half a mile total with minimal elevation gain. Walking sticks may be helpful.
How to Sign Up
Register at the link below. Each participant should register separately. Registration is free.
About the Center
Sonoma State University’s Center for Environmental Inquiry empowers university students to work with community members on the environmental challenges of the North Bay. Our mission is to create an engaged and environmentally ready society, one where all people have the skills to find solutions to the challenges facing our earth. SSU Preserves are open to everyone engaged in education or research. Reservations are required.