Bumble Bee Atlas
About the Project 
The Bumble Bee Atlas is a community science project aimed at gathering the data needed to track and conserve bumble bees.
North America is home to around 50 different bumble bee species. The latest information suggests that many bumble bee species face an uncertain future, but we lack the data needed to implement effective conservation measures, especially at the regional scale. Several species have been petitioned for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The causes of these declines are not fully understood, but the following are likely at fault: habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, low genetic diversity, and the introduction and distribution of pathogens through commercial pollinators. Regardless of the ultimate cause of bumble bee declines, protecting and managing existing habitats or creating new habitats are some of the most immediate and productive steps that can be taken to conserve these important pollinators.
Bumble Bee Atlas is administered by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. The Xerces Society is a donor-supported nonprofit organization with the goal of "protecting our world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats." The UW Biodiversity Institute is a Laramie-based partner, and we're excited to encourage Wyoming residents to participate in this effort.
How To Participate
Community scientists, like yourself, spread out across one of the project states to survey for bumble bees and report back whatever they find! You can participate from Wyoming or almost any other state between June 1 and August 31. Workshops or a short, online training will provide you with all the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to run surveys independently. Surveys can be run on your own or with a group of people. Survey methods are catch-and-release, so no bees are harmed. All you need to participate is an insect net, some vials, a decent camera (including many cell phones), and access to the internet to submit your data. Depending on gear availability, the necessary equipment can be borrowed.
To gather this data at the scale needed to inform conservation work, we need widespread participation. The success of the Bumble Bee Atlas will come from land owners, agencies, scientists non-scientists, and you joining together to understand the needs of bumble bees.
To learn more about this project or to participate, submit an interest form at the Mountain States Atlas page.
