Endangered species week – yellow-banded bumble bee
Posted onMay 15, 2020byWildlife Preservation Canada|News and Events, Species at Risk
What is the Bumble Bee Recovery Program? Since the 1990s, bumble bee numbers have been plummeting, and that spells ecological disaster. Ninety per cent of all flowering plants — including most of the fruits and vegetables in your fridge — need these pollinators in order to reproduce.
Until the causes of these declines can be reversed, conservation breeding and reintroduction is the only way to safeguard at-risk bumble bees. Today, WPC is the only organization in Canada rebuilding wild bee populations through conservation breeding. Thanks to recent breakthroughs, we’ve figured out how to dramatically increase the number of queens we produce. Once they’re released into the wild, they can establish their own colonies, producing hundreds of pollinators to sustain the ecosystems around them.
To celebrate Endangered Species Week, WPC is putting the spotlight on endangered Canadian species who desperately need our help.
This spotlight is on the yellow-banded bumble bee, which is listed as Special Concern in Canada.
One of the best starting points in saving an endangered animal is to learn about what makes that animal special. We’ve pulled together some quick and easy ways for you to learn about the yellow-banded bumble bee.
- GET YOUR KIDS EXCITED ABOUT ENDANGERED ANIMALS:
Download our kids activity sheets in full colour or black and white colouring sheets. Each of the six different sheets has facts about a different animal with a fun activity on the back where your kids can put their knowledge to the test.
2. OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP ENDANGERED ANIMALS LIKE THE YELLOW-BANDED BUMBLE BEE:
- Be social! Join the disucssion on social media. WPC posts interesting articles, videos, and links every day. We also send out a monthly e-newsletter with stories about our work.
- Take part in community science. You can help bumble bee biologists by submitting your sighting of bumble bees to the BumbleBeeWatch.org database.
- Make a small gift with a big impact. Support our work with endangered animals by making a donation today. Our team will put your gift into action right away.
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