Montana Bumble Bee Atlas takes flight
Newly launched community science project seeks volunteers to look for bumble bees throughout state
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MISSOULA — The Montana Bumble Bee Atlas, a collaborative community science project of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the U.S. Forest Service, and Missoula County Department of Ecology and Extension, needs community science volunteers to work alongside researchers to understand Montana’s bumble bees. Volunteers will conduct field surveys across the state to capture, document, and release the bees.
The first volunteer workshops are scheduled for June 1 in Missoula and June 8 in Bozeman.
Due to Montana’s wild and remote nature, there are many unknowns about the status of bumble bees and the environmental conditions they need to thrive. The Montana Bumble Bee Atlas is designed to fill these information gaps.
“Pollinators play an important role in ecosystem health and sustainability. As such, there is value in understanding the status of all pollinators and specifically bumble bees across the state of Montana,” said Amand Hendrix, regional botanist for the US Forest Service. “The Bumble Bee Atlas will help fill data gaps and help inform Forest Service land management decisions that may impact at-risk species.”
There are at least three species of conservation concern in Montana, including the western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), the Suckley cuckoo bumble bee (B. suckleyi), and the American bumble bee (B. pensylvanicus).
“Bumble bees face a myriad of threats, from climate change and drought to pesticide use and disease,” said Michelle Toshack, Conservation Biologist for the Xerces Society. “In order to help mitigate these threats, and help imperiled species recover, we need better information about the status of bumble bees. Scientists can’t do this alone—the time is too urgent, and the need is too great.”
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, pollinators have experienced declines emphasizing the need for baseline data on bumble bee distribution and species ranges.
“Community science programs are a way for people to truly save the bees, by getting involved in evidence-based research that protects wild pollinators,” said Marirose Kuhlman, Habitat Coordinator at the Missoula County Department of Ecology and Extension. “The Montana Bumble Bee Atlas will have a long-lasting impact on the health of Montana’s bumble bees.”
The project is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) through the U.S. Forest Service. This vital funding allows the Montana Bumble Bee Atlas to gather crucial data on at-risk bumble bee populations and the habitats they use. The data will help land management agencies make informed decisions about pollinator habitat. Focusing on these critical areas will not only improve the survival of these essential pollinators but also promote healthy ecosystems overall.
Additionally, the data will serve as a crucial baseline for measuring the success of future restoration efforts.
For more information about the Montana Bumble Bee Atlas project and to learn how to volunteer, please visit: https://www.bumblebeeatlas.org
