Learn to identify New England bumblebees under a microscope and in the field on May 9 in a program sponsored by UMass Amherst Extension Agriculture Program. Review conservation status and habitat associations. Questions? Contact nicolebell@umass.edu. To register, visit https://ag.umass.edu/pollinators
The Xerces Society will present the third of a series on bumble bee identification, this time covering the Midwest and Great Plains. We will cover the basics of bumble bee anatomy, introduce the different bumble bee species that may be encountered in the region, and discuss key characteristics to look out for when identifying bumble bees to species and sex. While this webinar series is geared toward Bumble Bee Atlas volunteers in the Midwest or Great Plains, we welcome anyone interested in learning more about bumble bee identification. Registration is required to attend. This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar. The live presentation on Zoom will be December 20 at 1 pm Eastern. We will cover the following species: Black-and-gold (B. auricomus), American (B. pensylvanicus), Southern Plains (B. fraternus), yellow-banded (B. terricola), lemon cuckoo (B. citrinus, pictured below), Ashton’s cuckoo (B. bohemicus), and variable cuckoo (B. variabilis) bumble bees.
Learn more and register today!
We are in the midst of the 6th mass extinction event, with extinctions occurring faster than at any time in the last 65 million years. ‘Bioabundance’ is in decline, with recent studies showing that insects in particular seem to be disappearing fast. If it continues, this will have profound consequences for mankind and for our planet. Dave Goulson will explain why insects are in decline, and suggest how we can all help to tackle this crisis, by turning our gardens and urban greenspaces into oases for life. He will discuss the many things we should do, and those things we should not do, to welcome bumblebees, butterflies, and a plethora of other wildlife into our gardens and into our lives.
Kent Gardens Trust (organized jointly with The Gardens Trust) present an online talk with Dave Goulson, Tuesday 27th April at 2.00 pm, £5. Register through Eventbrite by clicking HERE.
Dave Goulson is Professor of Biology at University of Sussex, specializing in bee ecology. He has published more than 300 scientific articles on the ecology and conservation of bumblebees and other insects. He is the author of Bumblebees; Their Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation, published in 2010 by Oxford University Press, and of the Sunday Times bestseller A Sting in the Tale, a popular science book about bumble bees, published in 2013 by Jonathan Cape, and now translated into fourteen languages. This was followed by A Buzz in the Meadow in 2014, Bee Quest in 2017, and The Garden Jungle in 2019. Goulson founded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in 2006, a charity which has grown to 12,000 members. He was: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s Social Innovator of the Year in 2010; given Zoological Society of London’s Marsh Award for Conservation Biology in 2013; elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2013; given the British Ecological Society Public Engagement Award in 2014; given Zoological Society of London’s Clarivate Award for Communicating Zoology in 2020. In 2015 he was named number 8 in BBC Wildlife Magazine’s list of the top 50 most influential people in conservation. In 2018, 2019 and 2020 he was named as a “Highly Cited Researcher” by Thompson ISI. He is a trustee of Pesticide Action Network, and an “Ambassador” for the UK Wildlife Trusts.
The Athol Bird and Nature Club will hold its September meeting on Wednesday, September 9 beginning at 7:30 pm at the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street in Athol. Dr. Rob Gegear will speak on Crowdsourcing the Causes and Consequences of Bumblebee Decline. Rob will discuss bumblebee ecology and behavior. Will also learn to recognize bumblebees their lifecycle, and information on some citizen science research opportunities. Robert J. Gegear, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Free and open to the public.
