Pollinators
Pollinators are the pollen transportation system that ensures that plant life on earth is sustained. This finely tuned interaction between plants and animals has evolved over many millions of years. It may be an insect, a bird, or a mammal moving pollen in return for nutrition in this mutually beneficial relationship. We owe it to all of them to keep their habitats healthy in return for the beauty and sustenance that they provide us.
Resources and Activities
- Pollinator Bingo
Fun for the whole family! - Honey Bee FAQ
Fast facts about honey bees. - Bees of Colorado
A comprehensive description of Colorado's bee fauna. - Bumble Bees of Colorado
A pictorial identification and information guide.
Learn More!
- The Bees in Your Backyard
A Guide to North America's Bees - Colorado Has 900 Bee Species And Only A Few Them Are Black and Yellow
Interview with Collection Manager Virginia Scott on Colorado Public Radio - Dave Goulson books on bees
Check out Bee Quest, A Buzz in the Meadow, A Sting in the Tale, and Garden Jungle - Bee Report podcast
Podcast episode on pathogen transfer on flowers - Grand Staircase bee documentary
Research and documentary film project - The Packer Collection at York University
Instagram feed with "bee of the day" - Bee photos from USGS
Beautiful open source photos - Bumble Bees of North America
An Identification Guide by William et al. - The rare western bumble bee
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation - Habitat Heroes
Boulder County Audubon Society - The Bees in your Backyard
YouTube channel - Bees are the Best!
Comic book
[video:https://youtu.be/2hkmSV9uiXU]
Entomology Curator and Biology Professor Dr. Deane Bowers takes us on a journey through the world of pollination by myriad insects—going way beyond bees.
[video:https://youtu.be/HNvBER24NW4 ]
Join Collection Manager Virginia Scott in looking inside the cabinets that are packed full of the knowledge of bees. We have bees collected over a hundred years ago, and some collected this summer. Learn what we can learn from all these bees and who is doing this work.
[video:https://youtu.be/0QZB1xXZlKo ]
Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Adrian Carper takes us into the field to look at bee habitat in Colorado. Learn about the great diversity of bees in Colorado and how you can help to preserve this diversity in your backyard.
[video:https://youtu.be/EJlwYa_nMpM]
Graduate student Jess Mullins shares how many other insects and animals move pollen between flowers inadvertently while sipping nectar or nibbling on flower parts, but only bees have evolved specialized structures to carry pollen.