Spring Bioblitz

The Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) is a community-based, not-for-profit that works witheveryone to find practical solutions to environmental challenges that impact us all. It takes timeand effort to work collaboratively but OWC is building a new way of managing our water and land wherewe all do our part, work together and think long term. We believe it's worth the investment.

Oldman Watershed Council

Join the Oldman Watershed Council on the last day of spring to learn about bees and take part in a bioblitz community science event.

Helen Schuler Nature Centre

The Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) is hosting a bioblitz on Saturday, June 20 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre in Lethbridge.A bioblitz is a community science monitoring event. Participants will learn about native pollinators (specifically bumble bees), then use nets and vials to safely catch and photograph bees using iNaturalist. Your observations will contribute to conservation efforts of the bee species at risk in our region.<blockquote>This event is free and open to all ages. Parental supervision required for attendees under the age of 16. Registration is limited to 25 spots. </blockquote>No experience identifying bumble bees or using iNaturalist is needed! We will provide instruction on how to distinguish bumble bees from honey bees and other insects. You’ll also hear about what’s causing bumble bee populations to decline, what the common species and species at risk in our area are, and how we can help. Finally, we’ll walk through how to use iNaturalist and demonstrate how to use the provided net and vials, before participants will have a couple of hours to look for and photograph bees.Thank you to the Government of Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk for supporting this event.

Agenda

Introductions and icebreakers; presentation on bumble bees, covering:
Distinguishing bumble bees from honey bees and other insects, plus a basic anatomy discussion.
Background on the bumble bee life cycle and social behaviors.
Causes of bumble bee decline (e.g., climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, introduced diseases/parasites).
Overview of local species (4 common and 4 species at risk).
Two ways we can help:
Providing habitat through pollinator-friendly gardening and overwintering sites.
Contributing data to conservation science through community monitoring.
How to photograph bees for identification purposes.
How to use iNaturalist.
Demonstration on the safe use of nets and vials for capture and release

Spring Bioblitz

More events from Oldman Watershed Council

Discover more events from Oldman Watershed Council, from Hobbies to other experiences you might love.

Spring Bioblitz

More events from Oldman Watershed Council

Discover more events from Oldman Watershed Council, from Hobbies to other experiences you might love.

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.