Virtual Bumble Bee School
Learn how to survey for bumble bees from wherever you are
With the generous support of the RBC Foundation, we have created a series of online learning modules that will teach you how to survey for and identify bumble bees. No experience is necessary, and the only equipment you’ll need is a smartphone. By taking pictures of bumble bees in your area and submitting those to Bumble Bee Watch, you’ll help improve our understanding of where different species show up and how they use their habitat, which will support bumble bee conservation across North America. Start learning below!
Bumble Bee Learning Modules
The following learning modules can be found below. Follow them in order, or choose your own adventure!
- Introduction: Who we are at WPC, and why we do this work (4:24)
- What is a bee? Learn about different groups of pollinators and how to tell them apart, the diversity of bees out there, and the life cycle of bumble bees in particular (20:07)
- Why bumble bees? Learn about why we’re so interested in bumble bees, and the work that WPC does through our Bumble Bee Recovery Program (20:33)
- Why community science? Learn why community science is so important for bumble bees, and some of the contributions it has already made to their conservation
- How to run a community science program: Are you curious about starting a community science program in your area? Learn all the nitty-gritty details of running a program here (44:03)
- Submitting to Bumble Bee Watch: Tips on how to submit the most useful observations, and how to use the online submission platform (11:27)
- Species identification: Tying it all together – how to identify different species of bumble bees! (1:02:17)
Resources
Find the Bumble Bee ID card for your region, and download or save and print at home.
We want your feedback!
For questions about any of these modules, or comments or suggestions on their format, email pollinators@wildlifepreservation.ca