[Pollinator] July Bee Species ID Course Now Open

[Sam Droege]

All:

Below is an announcement for a bee identification course which will be 
held at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia during 
the week of July 5th (I know bad timing, but that's the only slot we could 
get for the nice lab). 

You can read about the details in the announcement below, but one thing to 
point out is that unlike past courses we will be emphasizing the details 
of identifying the trickier groups of species and will not cover the 
basics.  We are going to assume that you have seen our online 
identification materials, have access to a dissecting microscope at home 
or the office, and have been learning and practicing on known specimens of 
bees (which we are happy to send you).  You will learn far more about bee 
identification if you have taken these steps and already know your way 
around guides, bees, their basic body parts and have struggled with the 
keys.  Our job is to help end those struggles not simply start them! 

Let me know right away if you plan to attend as it is strictly a first 
come/first serve basis, classes have always filled with long waiting lists 
and we make no judgements or adjustments to who attends  based on your 
past experience, level of education,  or current needs. 


 
Training 
Announcement  
 
 
 
 
Native Bee Identification, Ecology, Research and Monitoring 
  
 
Course Dates: July 5-10, 2008 
Course Location: National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV 
(http://training.fws.gov/ ) 
Course Leaders: Jason Gibbs, Alana Taylor, Sam Droege 
Course Length: 5 days/36 hours 
 
Course Description:   
The primary goal of this course is to provide participants the tools 
necessary to identify bees to species. To do that instructor ratios will 
be kept at 1 instructor to 8 participants. We will assume that students 
already have access to microscopes, will have read up on the basic 
literature on bee genera we have provided, and will have already practiced 
keying out bees to the genus level. We will emphasize learning to use 
online guides, how to identify tricky characters within groups such as 
Osmia, Lasioglossum, Andrena, Nomada and will be showing these characters 
to the class on projecting microscopes. A large collection of Eastern 
North American bees will be available for your use; surplus specimens will 
be available free for your personal collection. 
 
In conjunction with learning identification skills there will be a daily 
lectures on bee natural history, monitoring, and research techniques. We 
will be going out in the field throughout the week to set traps and net 
bees so that participants can see the entire spectrum of field to 
microscope work. We encourage participants to be bring a net, we will 
provide you with traps and processing equipment. You are also encouraged 
to bring your own specimens with you and we can help with identification, 
as time permits. Laptops, microscopes, will be provided. 
 
Who Should Attend: Federal, state, county and municipal agencies, private 
consulting firms, citizen volunteers, neighborhood associations, 
environmental organizations, and teachers, performing native pollinator 
assessments or monitoring programs; with a desire to improve their 
identification skills. 
 
How to apply: To register, email Sam Droege ( sdroege at usgs.gov ). First 
come, first serve 
 
Cost: Tuition is waived for FWS employees; for the remainder tuition is 
$250 U.S. Food is available at the training center and lodging is 
available in nearby Shepherdstown. 
 
Questions: Please contact Sam Droege, sdroege at usgs.gov, USGS Patuxent 
Wildlife Research Center 
 Thanks 

Sam Droege 
Jason Gibbs 
Alana Taylor 

Sam Droege  sdroege at usgs.gov 
w 301-497-5840 h 301-390-7759 fax 301-497-5624
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
BARC-EAST, BLDG 308, RM 124 10300 Balt. Ave., Beltsville, MD  20705
Http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov 


this is the garden:colours come and go,

this is the garden:colours come and go,
frail azures fluttering from night's outer wing
strong silent greens silently lingering,
absolute lights like baths of golden snow.
This is the garden:pursed lips do blow
upon cool flutes within wide glooms,and sing
(of harps celestial to the quivering string)
invisible faces hauntingly and slow. 

This is the garden. Time shall surely reap
and on Death's blade lie many a flower curled,
in other lands where other songs be sung;
yet stand They here enraptured,as among
the slow deep trees perpetual of sleep
some silver-fingered fountain steals the world.

     - by: e.e. cummings



P Bees are not optional.
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