Vermont Bumble Bees: webinar offered by Salisbury Conservation Commission

Did you know that Vermont once had 17 species of Bumble Bee and that 4 are now feared extinct? Learn about these important pollinators and how we can help conserve them, at our upcoming free Zoom webinar.

The Salisbury Conservation Commission Presents:

Vermont Bumble Bees: Natural History and Conservation

Free Zoom Webinar
When: July 29, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://vtecostudies-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvdOyprD0sGtzzF_bvPRrfhVY6Zlnlfecf

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Wild bees pollinate wildflowers and most crops in Vermont, including blueberries, tomatoes, squash, and one of the state’s essential commodities: apples. But about half of Vermont’s bumble bee species have either vanished or are in serious decline. After conducting the state’s most extensive search for bumble bees, and combing through historical records from museum collections, the Vermont Bumble Bee Atlas concluded that four of Vermont’s 17 bumble bee species appear to have gone extinct. While the researchers cannot pinpoint what may have caused these sudden bumble bee population declines– habitat loss, parasites, pesticides, and climate change have all been implicated by recent bee studies in North America. Now, conservationists here in Vermont and across the continent are sounding alarms. Join Vermont Center for Ecostudies biologist and Outdoor Radio co-host Kent McFarland as he shares the amazing world of Bumble Bees and their conservation.