[Pollinator] Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas Project launched

Wed Jun 19 08:20:13 PDT 2019

We’re happy to announce the launch of the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas, a
multi-year project that will harness the energy of community scientists to
better understand the status and distribution of bumble bees in Nebraska.
The project is a collaboration between the Xerces Society and the
University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Funding is provided by the Nebraska
Environmental Trust.

You can read more about this on our blog:

Introducing Xerces’ Newest Community Science Project: Nebraska Bumble Bee
Atlas <https://xerces.org/2019/06/18/introducing-nebraska-bumble-bee-atlas/>
,

https://xerces.org/2019/06/18/introducing-nebraska-bumble-bee-atlas/

Or in the press release pasted in below. (You can also read the press
release at
https://xerces.org/2019/06/18/nebraska-bumble-bee-atlas-project-aims-to-engage-community-scientists-in-tracking-bumble-bees/
.)

Thanks!

Matthew

***********************

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

*Contacts:*

Katie Lamke, Bumble Bee Conservation Specialist, Xerces Society for
Invertebrate Conservation; (707) 477-2224; katie.lamke at xerces.org

Rich Hatfield, Senior Conservation Biologist, Xerces Society for
Invertebrate Conservation; (971) 303-9150; rich.hatfield at xerces.org
<rich.hatfield at xerces.org>

Doug Golick, Professor of Entomology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; (402)
472-8642; dgolick2 at unl.edu

*Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas Project Aims to Engage Community Scientists in
Tracking Bumble Bees *

*University of Nebraska–Lincoln partners with national nonprofit to launch
statewide effort to conserve Nebraska’s pollinators*

OMAHA, Neb., June 18, 2019—A new project provides an opportunity for
community scientists to work alongside researchers to better understand the
status of Nebraska’s bumble bees. The state is home to nearly 20 different
species of these charismatic and easily recognizable bees, many of which
have been affected by the dramatic land use change seen in the Midwest over
the last 150 years. The Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas
<https://www.nebraskabumblebeeatlas.org/> is spearheaded by the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Pollinators play an essential role in sustaining the health of our
environment by pollinating flowers in natural areas and contributing to
successful harvests on farms. In recent years however, much of the
recognition pollinators have received largely stems from the widespread
decline of bees.

Declines of pollinator populations are alarming. Much attention has been
given to the plight of the introduced European honey bee. Less well
publicized, but no less important, is the parallel decline of native, wild
bee populations, particularly bumble bees.

While this project will target all bumble bees, there are four species of
particular concern that Nebraska Game and Parks has identified as Species
of Greatest Conservation Need, which include the western bumble bee (*Bombus
occidentalis*), southern plains bumble bee (*Bombus fraternus*), Suckley’s
cuckoo bumble bee (*Bombus suckleyi*) and variable cuckoo bumble bee (*Bombus
variabilis*).

The Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas <https://www.nebraskabumblebeeatlas.org/>
will make use of the North American community-science platform Bumble Bee
Watch <http://www.bumblebeewatch.org> to collect data.

“Whether you’re a career scientist or even just slightly interested in
nature, community science provides an opportunity for the public and
researchers to work together,” said Louise Lynch-O’Brien, Assistant
Professor of Insect Biology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. “Right
now, our pollinators in Nebraska and beyond are facing all sorts of
problems. Research is how we get a handle on these problems. It is always
exciting to see community science efforts, like the Nebraska Bumble Bee
Atlas, in action. This is a chance for anyone to get off the sidelines and
*do* something about pollinator declines and conservation efforts.”

Nebraska has a rich history of publishing bumble bee distribution
information going back to the early 1960s. The Bumble Bee Atlas project
will build upon this to better understand how bumble bee distributions have
changed through time, including in rural areas of the state. Recent
information on bumble bee distribution has been focused on places where
people live and gathering information outside of these areas will be key to
the success of the project. Doing so will take the cooperation of
stakeholders throughout the state, and a team of trained volunteers eager
to collect the data.

"With much of state in private ownership, many areas have never been
visited to document what bumble bee species exist there,” said Doug Golick,
Associate Professor of Entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“Who knows? Maybe a community scientist will find a species currently
undocumented in Nebraska.”

To help launch the project there will be several community science
volunteer training events
<https://www.nebraskabumblebeeatlas.org/events.html> throughout July and
August 2019. The events will help community scientists connect with other
volunteers while learning about bumble bees and how to contribute to the
atlas.

“Because Nebraska is home to so many unique habitats, we also have unique
bumble bee communities, with a mix of species found in both the eastern and
western United States,” said Jennifer Hopwood, Senior Pollinator
Conservation Specialist, Midwest Region, for the Xerces Society. “Getting a
clear understanding of where bumble bees are thriving, as well as
documenting the plant species and habitats that are supporting them, will
help us be able to better develop evidence-based pollinator conservation
plans throughout the state.”

Conservation partners throughout Nebraska and beyond look forward to the
lasting effects of this project.

“Bees and other pollinators serve a very important role in our environment,
and monitoring efforts are necessary to better identify the current
distribution and population status of Nebraska’s at-risk bumble bees,” said
Melissa Panella, Wildlife Diversity Program Manager for Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission. “The Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas is a fantastic opportunity
for cooperation with community scientists to help Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission managers make more-informed decisions that will have the
greatest positive impact on our bumble bees.”

The Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas is funded through a grant from the Nebraska
Environmental Trust <http://www.environmentaltrust.org/>. The Trust is
funded by proceeds from the Nebraska Lottery and has awarded more than $305
million to more than 2,200 conservation projects across the state of
Nebraska since 1994.

###

For more information about the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas project, please
visit https://www.nebraskabumblebeeatlas.org

For more information about Bumble Bee Watch, please visit
http://www.bumblebeewatch.org/

For more information about bumble bee conservation, please visit
https://xerces.org/bumblebees/

*About the Xerces Society*

The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife
through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in
1971, the Society is a trusted source for science-based information and
advice. We collaborate with people and institutions at all levels and our
work to protect pollinators encompasses all landscapes. Our team draws
together experts from the fields of habitat restoration, entomology, plant
ecology, education, farming and conservation biology with a single focus:
Protecting the life that sustains us.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.xerces.org or follow us
@xercessociety on Twitter <https://twitter.com/xercessociety>, Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/xercessociety/> or Instagram
<https://www.instagram.com/xercessociety/?hl=en>.

----------

Matthew Shepherd

Director of Communications & Outreach

[image: Email-Outlook_Xerces-logo-CMYK]

Protecting the Life That Sustains Us

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