Photo by Lisa Hopp Robinson
Here you will find a series of videos we produced for the California Bumble Bee Atlas, as well as a few from our sister project, the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas.
2025 Training Workshop
This is a recording of a two-hour California Bumble Bee Atlas training workshop held in March, 2025. We suggest that you join us for a live, remote workshop in spring, 2025 if possible, but you are free to instead watch this recording for your required training. Either way, after completing the training workshop, you'll need to take a short quiz before we can add you to the project's Scientific Collecting Permit.
Ecology and Conservation of Bumble Bees for Atlas Volunteers
Recorded on April 13, 2024, this is an optional webinar we presented for volunteers from the 20 states where bumble bee atlas projects are running this year. The webinar is 2 1/2 hours in duration and covers: bumble bee ecology, causes and consequences of decline, action steps we can take to help bees, and more.
Bumble Bee ID in Western North America (Females)
Recorded October 11, 2023, this is a two-hour advanced course on bumble bee identification in western North America. In this presentation, Rich Hatfield and Leif Richardson (Pacific Northwest and California Bumble Bee Atlases, respectively), go beyond the basics that we teach in bumble bee atlas project trainings, comparing color patterns in difficult pairs of mimics, examining subtle differences between male bumble bees, and tackling other more difficult ID questions. As with our other material, this presentation is geared toward identification based on photos rather than pinned specimens. This training is optional for Atlas volunteers--you don't have to watch it to participate, but we think it will be helpful to those interested in taking their bumble bee ID skills to the next level. Please note, we'll be presenting a similar webinar on male bumble bee identification in December, 2023!
Bumble Bee ID in Western North America (Males)
Recorded December 6, 2023, this presentation will introduce attendees to photo-based identification of male bumble bees (Bombus spp.) found along the Pacific Coast (including Idaho). In previous webinars, we have focused our efforts on the identification of female bumble bees, but knowing the females does not always help with the males, who can be frustratingly similar to each other. While this workshop is geared toward Bumble Bee Atlas volunteers in the Pacific Northwest and California, it should be of use to anyone interested in learning more about bumble bee identification--including those who live elsewhere in the West, where many of these species occur.
Field Methods
Videos from out partners at the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas
How to Net a Bee |
Point Survey Methods |
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Rapid Habitat Assessment |
How to Record Your Bumble Bee Data |
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