August 24, 2023, by Lisa Teas Conaway

Bumble bees are buzzing through the Sitka Sound Science Center! Come in and learn more about them and the people who care this Wednesday August 30th, 5:30 to 7pm. Then join us on a Bumble bee quest Saturday September 2nd from 1 to 2:30pm.

Measuring at just one inch on average and weighing under an ounce Bumble bees are by all accounts small creatures, but are vital to a thriving and healthy ecosystem. As a collective Bumble bees help produce food, raw materials, and many different medicines through pollination. There are over 250 known species of the Bombus genus, with 22 living within Alaska. Many populations are facing extinction risks due to habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide exposure, with over a 90% population drop recorded in Western bumble bees sighted in Western bumble bee: declines in the continental United States and range‐wide information gaps – Graves – 2020 – Ecosphere – Wiley Online Library. If bumble bees continue on the decline it could lead to extreme ecological consequences, that is why conservation efforts and general mapping of species habitat is so important.

Join us August 30^th, to learn more about our local species of bumble bees and a citizen science project of habitat mapping. On September 2^nd, come out into the field with us and put your newly found skills into practice with our own bumble bee survey.

 

Alaska Bumble Bee Identification | Wednesday August 30th from 5:30 to 7pm

• Location Sitka Sound Science Center, Karsh Classroom.
• Join us for an Alaska Bumble Bee identification workshop with Science Guide Caitlin Ball. This is a two-part workshop where we will first learn how to distinguish between the many Bumble Bee species that live in our area and safe and proper field survey techniques. The second part of this workshop will involve field work on Saturday, September 2^nd starting at 1pm. Individuals 13 years and under must have an adult accompany them.

 

Bumble Bee Field excursion | Saturday September 2nd from 1 to 2:30pm

• Join our team in surveying Alaska Bumble Bees, location to be determined. Science Guide Caitlin Ball will take the group through bumble bee habitat while utilizing skills and knowledge from the first workshop to monitor population and species. First workshop is not a prerequisite, but highly recommended. This will be a training opportunity for future Bumble Bee Watch data collection. Bumble Bee Watch is a community science project working on mapping habitat range and vulnerable species BumbleBeeWatch.org. Individuals 13 years and under must have an adult accompany them.

 

Reach out to Caitlin Ball with questions cball@sitkascience.org