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Community Science

Up close with a yellow-banded bumble bee sitting on a sheet of lined paper. Small details are visible, like the little hooks on its toes that it uses to hold on to things.
Exciting Finds from the 2024 Bumble Bee Atlas Field Season
Ron Smith, a middle aged white man with a graying beard and a friendly smile, gently carrying a horseshoe crab along a beach. He is wearing bright blue tee shirt with the logo of the NJ Fish and Wildlife department.
Ron Smith: Champion of Community Science and Invertebrate Conservation
A bumble bee on a flower in the foreground, with a mountain range in the background, and a clear mountain lake below. The mountains are only lightly covered with sparse plants, hinting at the high elevation.
Celebrating Community Science as the Bumble Bee Atlas Expands to Five New States
Monarchs aggregating on a tree at one of their overwintering sites
Despite a Lower Peak Season, Western Monarchs Start Spring in Higher Numbers than 2023
Cluster of monarchs on tree branches
Western Monarch Count Tallies 233,394 Butterflies
Fireflies flashing in the Nevada night
Secrets of the Nevada Nighttime (No, It’s Not Aliens)
Hundreds of monarchs in the sky near overwintering sites in Mexico
5 Monarch Migration Facts
Monarch caterpillar on narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis). (Photo: Xerces Society / Stephanie McKnight)
Keep Monarchs Wild: Why Captive Rearing Isn’t the Way to Help Monarchs
Community scientists photograph stunned bees on data sheets
Midwest Volunteers Map 18,000 Bumble Bees
Monarch drinking nectar from purple coneflower
What is a Monarch’s Favorite Nectar Plant? Scientists are Seeking Your Observations
A participant uses their iphone camera to photograph a firefly in a petri dish
New Firefly Atlas Will Put Beloved Beetles on the Map
Volunteers count monarchs in Pacific Grove Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, December 2021 (Photo: Candy Sarikonda)
Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count tallies nearly 250,000 butterflies
leaf litter, overwinter, bumble bee life cycle, science, conservation
Where do Bumble Bee Queens Overwinter? Participate in Queen Quest This Fall to Help Us Find Out!
yellow, flower, dandelion, community science, Bumble Bee Watch
A Q&A with Daniel Potvin-Leduc, a Bumble Bee Watch Star from Quebec
A group of people wearing wide-brimmed hats stand with their backs to the camera, watching a man standing waist-deep in grass and flowers swings a white butterfly net.
Using Community Science to Conserve Bumble Bees: From Small Beginnings to a Continent-Wide Effort
The black hairs that cover the rear segments of this yellow-and-black bumble bee shine in the sunshine as it forages on a pink flower
What Should You Do for Pollinator Week? Go Bumble Bee Watching!
In daylight, most fireflies don't look so magical. This big dipper firefly is mostly black, with pale brown margins to it's body and a red patch on the top of it's thorax.
Shedding Light on Firefly Natural History and Distributions through Community Science
Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus) observation submitted to Bumble Bee Watch by a community scientist.
Turning Appreciation into Action Through Community Science
Two orange-and-black monarch butterflies drink nectar on yellow-and-red colored flowers. The flowers are tropical milkweed, a non-native plant that should not be grown to help monarchs.
Resident Monarch Populations on the Rise in California: What Does this Mean for the Western Migratory Population?
Graph showing results from surveys of overwintering monarchs in California. The number of monarchs has fallen for several years, so the height of the bars gets shorter and shorter to the right of the graph
Fifth Annual Western Monarch New Year’s Count Confirms Continued Decline in Western Monarch Population
Well wrapped against the winter weather, two people walk across a snow-covered field of stubble scattering wildflower seed
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – February 2021
A man and a woman carrying an insect net walk through grass looking for bumble bees
The Power of The Pinery: Six Years of Bumble Bee Community Science at Ontario’s Pinery Provincial Park
A handful of monarch butterflies with wings closed rest on the long gray-green leaves of eucalyptus
Monarch Population in California Spirals to Another Record Low
A black and yellow bumble bee on a bright pink flower
It Takes (More Than) a Village
An orange and black monarch butterfly drinks nectar from the creamy-white flowers of mule fat
Western Monarch Breeding Season Status
Three people, with clipboards in hand, inspect a hedgerow of young shrubs growing beside a dusty farm track.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – September 3, 2020
Amid a mountainous, meadow-strewn landscape, three people holding butterfly nets walk along a narrow, dirt trail.
Tracking Butterfly Populations through Community Science
Two women, one with dark hair and a hat, and one with bright red hair, look at a white insect net while standing in a grassy field.
Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas: Doing a Little to Impact the Whole
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs Overwintering in Mexico Down 53%
An illustrated landscape showing changing seasons (for instance, a tree that is half bare and half covered in bright pink blooms) shows bumble bees in various stages of their life cycle, including underground nests, foraging, and larvae.
Five Ways to Support Queen Bumble Bees this Spring
A monarch with large pieces missing from both wings perches on an evergreen branch.
New Year’s Count Finds Continued Decline of Monarchs Overwintering in California
A long line of people of diverse ages, genders, and races are all sporting bright yellow and black-striped bee outfits in an outdoor festival setting.
Evolution in Attitudes Leads to Greater Interest in Pollinator Conservation
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Thanksgiving Count Shows Western Monarchs Need Our Help More than Ever
A woman in a red rain coat and gray hiking pants stands on the edge of a rocky mountain stream, holding a net, and scanning the water carefully. She is in a mountain meadow with yellow flowers.
Xerces' Holistic Approach to Conservation
In this close-up photo, a monarch perches atop a cluster of small, white and pink flowers. The image is so detailed, you can see the eye of the monarch, and the scales on its wings.
Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kits Designed to Support Imperiled Western Monarchs
A smiling woman wearing a black coat and a black Xerces Society hat leans over a table. On the other side of the table, a kid with a colorful hoodie reaches for an assortment of small glass vials containing bee specimens. The woman and the kid are looking at the same vials and appear to be talking.
Hope and Heart: Engaging Volunteers in Conservation
A woman smiles while looking at a fuzzy, black, and yellow bumble bee on her finger.
Ann Puddicombe, a Bumble Bee Watch Star
A fuzzy, yellow and black striped bee perches atop a cluster of bright yellow flowers.
Still Questing for Bee Nests
Meandering yellow-green streaks weave through a darkening forest with a thick understory of ferns, in this long-exposure shot of fireflies.
Conserving the Jewels of the Night
With wings spread, a monarch butterfly basks on a milkweed plant among the stems of a tulle marsh.
Western Monarchs: Notes from the Field
A high country bumble bee (Bombus kirbiellus) looks directly at the camera, wings blurred, as it perches atop the red petals of a paintbrush blossom.
A high country bumble bee flies to a red paintbrush blossom.
The Source of Hope and Wonder Comes in Small Packages
Rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) in a vial.
Working Together in Iowa to Find the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
Two monarchs' wings overlap as they stand back end to back end, mating.
Community Science Powers New Western Monarch Studies
A purple and maroon night sky is lit by curving, white star trails, and the darkened area of the frame with silhouettes of trees is illuminated by the yellow streaks of fireflies in this long-exposure shot.
Celebrate World Firefly Day by Keeping Nights Dark
A beautiful, bright orange monarch perches atop bright pink milkweed blossoms.
Working to Conserve Monarchs from Coast to Coast
A bumble bee holds tightly to a cluster of purple flowers.
Introducing Xerces’ Newest Community Science Project: Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas
A tiny monarch egg can be seen in a cluster of pink milkweed blossoms.
New iNaturalist Project Makes it Easier to Submit Data to the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper
A plump bumble bee with yellow and black stripes, as well as a brown patch on its back and brownish wings, pollinates a small, white flower.
5 Ways Wildlife Preservation Canada’s Bumble Bee Recovery & Conservation Initiatives Benefit from Bumble Bee Watch
An orange and black monarch nectars on the orange flowers of butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa).
How to Support Monarch Butterfly Conservation—During Earth Week and Beyond!
Robbin Thorp, wearing an orange shirt and tan pants and a tan hat, carries a net as he walks through the hills of southern Oregon.
Honoring Robbin Thorp, a Legendary Figure in North American Bee Conservation
Young community scientists planting.
Community Scientists Take on the Cultivar Conundrum
A woman walking across a field with a nose working dog, looking for bumble bee nests.
A woman walking across a field with a nose working dog, looking for bumble bee nests.
A Quest for Bumble Bee Nests: The Missing Link
Monarch butterfly flying above milkweed.
Community Scientists Can Help Support Imperiled Western Monarchs
A western monarch rests on the side of a tree with furrowed bark.
New Year’s Count of Western Monarchs Confirms Decline, Trends Seen in Previous Years
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Record Low Number of Overwintering Monarch Butterflies in California—They Need Your Help!
A fuzzy bee with yellow and black stripes, as well as a rust-colored patch on its back, holds tightly to a pink flower.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – November 2018
A monarch, with its wings folded, showing the duller orange side, clings to a rough tree trunk in a dimly-lit landscape.
Early Thanksgiving Counts Show a Critically Low Monarch Population in California
A bright orange monarch with a torn wing perches on some pink milkweed blossoms in a grassy, dry landscape.
Western Monarch Numbers Expected to Be Low this Year
The author stands in a field holding a net while talking during a demonstration.
Kicking Off Canadian Bumble Bee Watch Training Events!
A bee sits on top of a yellow flower.
Surprising Results from a Survey of Bumble Bee Watch Users
A western monarch rests on a white flower amid a dry, grassy field.
Managing for Monarchs in the West
Leafcutter bee on a red and yellow blanketflower.
10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
Two women look into an insect net to see whether they have captured a bumble bee. The net has a long white bag. The woman on the left is older, with brown hair tucked under a grey hat. Her t-shirt is purple and white. The other women is younger and has red-blonde hair pulled back into a bun. She wears a red t-shirt with the words Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas.
Unblinded by Science
overwintering monarchs
Second New Year's Count Supports Monarchs' Movement Between Sites
A lone monarch in shadow perches atop fluffy, pink blossoms.
Very Low Numbers of Monarchs Overwintering in California may Reflect an Unusual Fall
volunteers at survey
Wildlife Preservation Canada Continues Training “Bumble Bee Watchers”
bombus impatiens
Community Science Data Aids in Expert Testimony on Regulation of Commercially Bred Bumble Bees
bimaculatus range map
Observations by Community Scientists Expand Known Range of the Two-Spotted Bumble Bee
The March for Science logo, modeled after an atom, is shown.
Science: Something Worth Marching For
A dense cluster of monarchs, with their bright orange hues shining, cling to a deep green pine branch.
Western Monarch Conservation: A 40 Year History
Multiple clusters of monarchs gather on the branches of trees.
Five Lesser-Known Places to See Monarchs Overwintering in California
ruby meadowhawk
ID Dragonflies and Locate Hotspots with the Dragonfly ID App!
 

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