This workshop is a companion to our Bumble Bee Atlas workshop trainings (pnwBumbleBeeAtlas.org and caBumbleBeeAtlas.org). While the workshops for those projects are generally focused on training volunteers how and why to participate, many volunteers are excited to learn more about the specifics about bumble bee identification. We've heard you! As such, for the first time, we will focus an entire workshop on identification, taking the time to introduce you to each species and the details we think will help you to identify them. Xerces Society staff members Leif Richardson and Rich Hatfield will co-teach this webinar. Together, they'll share their bumble bee identification expertise, and take you on a tour of the bumble bees of the West Coast (including Idaho). This bumble bee ID course will be geared toward community science volunteers for our Bumble Bee Atlas Projects, but we welcome anyone hoping to learn more about the bumble bees of our region.

Click here for more information and to register.

Rich Hatfield

Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Bumble Bee Conservation Lead - The Xerces Society

Rich is a senior conservation biologist for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and has been leading the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas since 2018. He has authored several publications on bumble bees, including a set of management guidelines entitled Conserving Bumble Bees. He serves as the Red List Authority for the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Bumble Bee Specialist Group and has taught bumble bee management and identification courses throughout the U.S. In addition to his work with bumble bees, Rich has investigated native bee pollination in agricultural systems in the Central Valley of California, and studied endangered butterflies in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and throughout the Pacific Northwest. When not at work, Rich is often off exploring the wonders of the Pacific Northwest with his family.

Leif Richardson

Conservation Biologist California Bumble Bee Atlas - The Xerces Society

Leif is a conservation biologist who coordinates the California Bumble Bee Atlas project. His research focuses on the ecology, distribution, and declines of North American bumble bees. Leif previously worked as an environmental consultant, studying pesticide risk to bee pollinators, and as an ecologist for Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. He is co-author of a range of scientific publications on bees, including Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide (2014, Princeton University Press), the standard reference manual on this group of insects. He is an expert in the inventory and identification of bumble bees, and has extensive experience training others to collect bumble bee distribution data in the field. Leif holds a Master’s degree from the University of Arizona and a PhD from Dartmouth College.

Please join us in a collaborative effort to track and conserve the bumble bees of the Pacific Northwest through this hands-on training in the field. As a companion to our training webinar, Joel Sauder (IDFG) is inviting nearby residents to join him in the field to learn the basics of conducting a survey. Participants will get hands-on experience with the entire protocol, including capture, chilling, photographing, and data recording/entry. Please only sign up for the workshop if you are certain you are going to attend to make sure there is space for those that are able.   

Click here for more information and to register. This event is hosted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

NOTE: The Zoom webinar taking place after (June 4) this workshop is also free, and strongly recommended. More information about the webinar is available here.

This workshop will prepare community scientists and agency biologists to participate in the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas Project. Building on the success and information gathered since 2018, the second phase of this project is focused toward learning more about the rare species in our region: the western bumble bee, Morrison's bumble bee, the Suckely cuckoo bumble bee and Franklin's bumble bee. We also continue to emphasize the importance of long-term monitoring throughout the region. As such, this workshop is for our most seasoned veterans as well as newcomers to this community science project.

Click here for more information and to register.

NOTE: Companion (optional) field trainings in the region (SW WA, Seattle, WA, and Boise, ID) are also available both before and following this online workshop for those interested in a hands-on opportunity to learn the basics of conducting a survey. Please see this page for more information and to register for one of the field events.

Rich Hatfield

Senior Conservation Biologist, Bumble Bee Conservation Lead - The Xerces Society

Rich is a senior conservation biologist for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and has been leading the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas since 2018. He has authored several publications on bumble bees, including a set of management guidelines entitled Conserving Bumble Bees. He serves as the Red List Authority for the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Bumble Bee Specialist Group and has taught bumble bee management and identification courses throughout the U.S. In addition to his work with bumble bees, Rich has investigated native bee pollination in agricultural systems in the Central Valley of California, and studied endangered butterflies in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and throughout the Pacific Northwest. When not at work, Rich is often off exploring the wonders of the Pacific Northwest with his family.

Please join us in a collaborative effort to track and conserve the bumble bees of the Pacific Northwest through this hands-on training in the field. As a companion to the webinar, Rich is inviting nearby residents to join him in the field to learn the basics of conducting a survey. Participants will get hands-on experience with the entire protocol, including capture, chilling, photographing, and data recording/entry. The entire workshop will be outdoors and will be limited to 20 individuals. Please only sign up for the workshop if you are certain you are going to attend to make sure there is space for those that are able. 

Click here for more information and to register.

NOTE: The Zoom webinar taking place before this workshop is also free, and strongly recommended.  More information about the webinar is available, here.

Rich Hatfield

Senior Conservation Biologist, Bumble Bee Conservation Lead - The Xerces Society

Rich is a senior conservation biologist for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and has been leading the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas since 2018. He has authored several publications on bumble bees, including a set of management guidelines entitled Conserving Bumble Bees. He serves as the Red List Authority for the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Bumble Bee Specialist Group and has taught bumble bee management and identification courses throughout the U.S. In addition to his work with bumble bees, Rich has investigated native bee pollination in agricultural systems in the Central Valley of California, and studied endangered butterflies in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and throughout the Pacific Northwest. When not at work, Rich is often off exploring the wonders of the Pacific Northwest with his family.

Please join us in a collaborative effort to track and conserve the bumble bees of the Pacific Northwest through this hands-on training in the field. As a companion to our training webinar, Julie Combs (WDFW) is inviting nearby residents to join her in the field to learn the basics of conducting a survey. Participants will get hands-on experience with the entire protocol, including capture, chilling, photographing, and data recording/entry. The entire workshop will be outdoors and will be limited to 20 individuals. Please only sign up for the workshop if you are certain you are going to attend to make sure there is space for those that are able.

Click here for more information and to register. This event is hosted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

NOTE: The Zoom webinar taking place before this workshop is also free, and strongly recommended. More information about the webinar is available here.

Join pollinator biologist Sarah Foltz Jordan of the Xerces Society, and farmers Jim & Debbie Morrison of Sapsucker Farm for a buzz-worthy field day focused on pollinator habitat in an orchard setting. Attendees will learn about native bee diversity and habitat needs, including how to identify and support the rusty-patched bumble bee, a federally endangered bee that has recently been detected near the farm, and is persisting in very low numbers across the Midwest. Participants will tour the farm from the perspective of a bee, looking at foraging & nesting resources, protection from pesticides, and the many habitat strategies that Sapsucker Farm has employed, including their innovative and successful approaches to planting and managing diverse native flowers in the understories of their orchards. Come early for lunch or stay late for happy hour or dinner (two food trucks and several beverage options will be available throughout the day). This free field day is co-hosted by the Xerces Society and MOSES. 

Click here for more information and to register.