This workshop will introduce attendees to bumble bee (Bombus spp.) identification along the Pacific Coast of the U.S. (including Idaho). While this workshop is geared toward Bumble Bee Atlas volunteers in the Pacific Northwest and California, we welcome anyone interested in learning more about bumble bee identification. We will cover the basics of bumble bee anatomy, and introduce you to each of the species you may encounter throughout the region. For each species we’ll include ID tips, and what is currently known about their preferred habitats and host plants.
Learn more and register here today!
The workshop will be co-taught by Leif Richardson and Rich Hatfield.
California Bumble Bee Atlas: https://www.cabumblebeeatlas.
Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas: https://www.pnwbumblebeeatlas.
Leif Richardson - Conservation Biologist - California Bumble Bee Atlas - The Xerces Society
Leif is a conservation biologist who coordinates the California Bumble Bee Atlas project. His research focuses on the ecology, distribution, and declines of North American bumble bees. Leif previously worked as an environmental consultant, studying pesticide risk to bee pollinators, and as an ecologist for Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. He is co-author of a range of scientific publications on bees, including Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide (2014, Princeton University Press), the standard reference manual on this group of insects. He is an expert in the inventory and identification of bumble bees, and has extensive experience training others to collect bumble bee distribution data in the field. Leif holds a Master’s degree from the University of Arizona and a PhD from Dartmouth College.
Rich Hatfield - Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist - Bumble Bee Conservation Lead - The Xerces Society
Rich manages all aspects of the Xerces Society’s work on bumble bees. Rich has a master’s degree in conservation biology from San Francisco State University, and he joined the Xerces Society in 2012. While earning his degree, his thesis focused on local- and landscape-level factors that contribute to bumble bee species richness and abundance. He has also investigated native bee pollination in agricultural systems in the Central Valley of California and researched endangered butterflies in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest. In addition to his skills as a research biologist, Rich also has extensive classroom teaching experience with a focus on conservation biology, ecology, and sustainability.