Midwest bumble bee identification, ecology and conservation

This course is designed for anyone who wants to reliably identify bumble bees to species in the field, including conservation professionals, students performing research on bumble bees, and volunteers who want to take their identification skills to the next level. We will cover 24 common and uncommon bumble bee species including the endangered rusty patched bumble bee. We will focus on the color morphs that are common in the upper Midwest, but will cover species common throughout eastern North America.

Instructors:
Zach is a bee taxonomist at the University of Minnesota in the Cariveau Native Bee Lab. His research focuses on the identification, taxonomy, and conservation of Minnesota bees. He received his PhD at Utah State University, studying native bees under Dr. Terry Griswold.

Elaine is a University of MN Extension Educator and Researcher working on bee conservation. Elaine completed an M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Minnesota and currently works with volunteers to survey bumble bees in MN through the Midwest Bumble Bee Atlas programs.

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