x

Community Science

Community Science

Citizen scientists count bumble bees to save them
7. June 2023
Community scientists photograph stunned bees on data sheets
Midwest Volunteers Map 18,000 Bumble Bees
18. May 2023
Making Nature Less Predictable
4. January 2023
The land of lost fireflies is probably a humble New Jersey bog
30. November 2022
Scientists need your help spotting cute, fuzzy bumblebees in Kansas
30. November 2022
West coast lady, Vanessa annabella. Photo: Chris Halsch, University of Nevada-Reno
Grassroots Conservation is the Key to Saving Imperiled Western Butterflies
22. June 2022
Western monarchs overwintering in California 2021-2022 (Photo: Jessica Griffiths)
New Year’s Count of Western Monarchs Tracks Population Decline During Overwintering Season
2. March 2022
Monarchs at a private overwintering site in Monterey county, CA
Monarchs at the Pacific Grove Butterfly Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, CA
The Bounciness of Butterflies
12. November 2021
leaf litter, overwinter, bumble bee life cycle, science, conservation
Where do Bumble Bee Queens Overwinter? Participate in Queen Quest This Fall to Help Us Find Out!
12. October 2021
yellow, flower, dandelion, community science, Bumble Bee Watch
A Q&A with Daniel Potvin-Leduc, a Bumble Bee Watch Star from Quebec
12. October 2021
A group of young people standing a classroom holding wooden insect houses that they have been building. Some people have blonde hair, some brown, and some black. A few of the group are wearing head scarfs. The insect houses are square frames with a pointed roof.
Bee City USA & Bee Campus USA Affiliate Spotlight: University of Michigan-Dearborn
22. September 2021
A group of people wearing wide-brimmed hats stand with their backs to the camera, watching a man standing waist-deep in grass and flowers swings a white butterfly net.
Using Community Science to Conserve Bumble Bees: From Small Beginnings to a Continent-Wide Effort
29. July 2021
The black hairs that cover the rear segments of this yellow-and-black bumble bee shine in the sunshine as it forages on a pink flower
What Should You Do for Pollinator Week? Go Bumble Bee Watching!
16. June 2021
In daylight, most fireflies don't look so magical. This big dipper firefly is mostly black, with pale brown margins to it's body and a red patch on the top of it's thorax.
Shedding Light on Firefly Natural History and Distributions through Community Science
4. May 2021
Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus) observation submitted to Bumble Bee Watch by a community scientist.
Turning Appreciation into Action Through Community Science
31. March 2021
Well wrapped against the winter weather, two people walk across a snow-covered field of stubble scattering wildflower seed
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – February 2021
2. February 2021
A man and a woman carrying an insect net walk through grass looking for bumble bees
The Power of The Pinery: Six Years of Bumble Bee Community Science at Ontario’s Pinery Provincial Park
7. December 2020
A handful of monarch butterflies with wings closed rest on the long gray-green leaves of eucalyptus
Monarch Population in California Spirals to Another Record Low
30. November 2020
A black and yellow bumble bee on a bright pink flower
It Takes (More Than) a Village
14. October 2020
An orange and black monarch butterfly drinks nectar from the creamy-white flowers of mule fat
Western Monarch Breeding Season Status
23. September 2020
Three people, with clipboards in hand, inspect a hedgerow of young shrubs growing beside a dusty farm track.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – September 3, 2020
2. September 2020
Amid a mountainous, meadow-strewn landscape, three people holding butterfly nets walk along a narrow, dirt trail.
Tracking Butterfly Populations through Community Science
22. April 2020
Two women, one with dark hair and a hat, and one with bright red hair, look at a white insect net while standing in a grassy field.
Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas: Doing a Little to Impact the Whole
22. April 2020
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs Overwintering in Mexico Down 53%
13. March 2020
A monarch with large pieces missing from both wings perches on an evergreen branch.
New Year’s Count Finds Continued Decline of Monarchs Overwintering in California
4. March 2020
A long line of people of diverse ages, genders, and races are all sporting bright yellow and black-striped bee outfits in an outdoor festival setting.
Evolution in Attitudes Leads to Greater Interest in Pollinator Conservation
24. February 2020
In this hand-drawn/hand-painted image, a grove of trees is shown, with a cut stump and a dead monarch with tattered wings in the foreground.
The Vanishing Butterfly Groves of California
27. January 2020
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Thanksgiving Count Shows Western Monarchs Need Our Help More than Ever
23. January 2020
A smiling woman wearing a black coat and a black Xerces Society hat leans over a table. On the other side of the table, a kid with a colorful hoodie reaches for an assortment of small glass vials containing bee specimens. The woman and the kid are looking at the same vials and appear to be talking.
Hope and Heart: Engaging Volunteers in Conservation
4. December 2019
A woman smiles while looking at a fuzzy, black, and yellow bumble bee on her finger.
Ann Puddicombe, a Bumble Bee Watch Star
20. November 2019
Meandering yellow-green streaks weave through a darkening forest with a thick understory of ferns, in this long-exposure shot of fireflies.
Conserving the Jewels of the Night
31. October 2019
How You Can Help
30. October 2019
With wings spread, a monarch butterfly basks on a milkweed plant among the stems of a tulle marsh.
Western Monarchs: Notes from the Field
21. October 2019
Western Freshwater Mussel Database Contributors
14. October 2019
Western Freshwater Mussel Database
14. October 2019
What We're Doing to Conserve Endangered Species
1. October 2019
Rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) in a vial.
Working Together in Iowa to Find the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
4. September 2019
A purple and maroon night sky is lit by curving, white star trails, and the darkened area of the frame with silhouettes of trees is illuminated by the yellow streaks of fireflies in this long-exposure shot.
Celebrate World Firefly Day by Keeping Nights Dark
5. July 2019
A beautiful, bright orange monarch perches atop bright pink milkweed blossoms.
Working to Conserve Monarchs from Coast to Coast
21. June 2019
A bumble bee holds tightly to a cluster of purple flowers.
Introducing Xerces’ Newest Community Science Project: Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas
18. June 2019
A tiny monarch egg can be seen in a cluster of pink milkweed blossoms.
New iNaturalist Project Makes it Easier to Submit Data to the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper
7. June 2019
A plump bumble bee with yellow and black stripes, as well as a brown patch on its back and brownish wings, pollinates a small, white flower.
5 Ways Wildlife Preservation Canada’s Bumble Bee Recovery & Conservation Initiatives Benefit from Bumble Bee Watch
2. May 2019
An orange and black monarch nectars on the orange flowers of butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa).
How to Support Monarch Butterfly Conservation—During Earth Week and Beyond!
27. April 2019
Robbin Thorp, wearing an orange shirt and tan pants and a tan hat, carries a net as he walks through the hills of southern Oregon.
Honoring Robbin Thorp, a Legendary Figure in North American Bee Conservation
24. April 2019
Young community scientists planting.
Community Scientists Take on the Cultivar Conundrum
10. April 2019
A woman walking across a field with a nose working dog, looking for bumble bee nests.
A woman walking across a field with a nose working dog, looking for bumble bee nests.
A Quest for Bumble Bee Nests: The Missing Link
26. March 2019
Monarch butterfly flying above milkweed.
Community Scientists Can Help Support Imperiled Western Monarchs
12. March 2019
A group of scientists taking a photo together, including Emma Pelton, our monarch specialist.
Photo Essay: Trinational Monarch Meeting and Exploring Mexico’s Monarch Overwintering Sites
7. March 2019
A western monarch rests on the side of a tree with furrowed bark.
New Year’s Count of Western Monarchs Confirms Decline, Trends Seen in Previous Years
5. February 2019
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Record Low Number of Overwintering Monarch Butterflies in California—They Need Your Help!
17. January 2019
A fuzzy bee with yellow and black stripes, as well as a rust-colored patch on its back, holds tightly to a pink flower.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – November 2018
4. December 2018
A monarch, with its wings folded, showing the duller orange side, clings to a rough tree trunk in a dimly-lit landscape.
Early Thanksgiving Counts Show a Critically Low Monarch Population in California
29. November 2018
Purple asters bloom against a green background.
Fall Garden Tips to Benefit Bumble Bees All Year
30. October 2018
The author stands in a field holding a net while talking during a demonstration.
Kicking Off Canadian Bumble Bee Watch Training Events!
26. July 2018
Monitoring for At-Risk Pollinators
11. July 2018
About Bumble Bees
6. July 2018
Cluster of western monarchs overwintering in California
Managing Monarch Habitat in the West
5. July 2018
Monarchs cluster on pine branches, which are backed by blue sky. The butterflies with folded wings are more drab in color, appearing to be dead leaves at first glance. The butterflies with their wings spread display a vibrant orange hue.
Western Monarch Overwintering Site Management
4. July 2018
Eastern Monarch Conservation
4. July 2018
Western Monarch Conservation
4. July 2018
A monarch nectars on multiple, purple, fluffy flowers growing on a stalk.
Monarch Nectar Plant Guides
18. June 2018
A bee sits on top of a yellow flower.
Surprising Results from a Survey of Bumble Bee Watch Users
23. May 2018
A western monarch rests on a white flower amid a dry, grassy field.
Managing for Monarchs in the West
1. May 2018
Leafcutter bee on a red and yellow blanketflower.
10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
20. April 2018
overwintering monarchs
Second New Year's Count Supports Monarchs' Movement Between Sites
7. March 2018
volunteers at survey
Wildlife Preservation Canada Continues Training “Bumble Bee Watchers”
19. January 2018
bimaculatus range map
Observations by Community Scientists Expand Known Range of the Two-Spotted Bumble Bee
4. October 2017
monarch cluster
First New Year’s Monarch Count Completed
9. June 2017
ruby meadowhawk
ID Dragonflies and Locate Hotspots with the Dragonfly ID App!
3. October 2015