Bee Blitz is On for Kalkaska County
By Marilyn Shy, Kalkaska Conservation District
It’s National Pollinator Week! Almost everyone knows that bees are one of our most important pollinators. But did you know that there are about 4,000 species of bees in North America? And of these, 1 in 4 species is at risk of extinction?
In Michigan alone, there are over 450 native species of bees. Some of these are very specific to a particular habitat or type of plant. Different bee species are active at different times of the year, nest in different places, and have different host plants.
So why should we care about these tiny buzzing creatures?
Bees and other pollinators enable us to enjoy many of the foods we eat. Apples, cranberries, melons, almonds, tomatoes, strawberries, peaches, squashes, avocadoes, pumpkins, coconuts, and coffee! And this is not a complete list by any means. Bees and other small insects pollinate over 1,200 crops each year. Almost one out of every 3 bites of food you eat is made possible by pollinators.
But what can I do to help the bees, you might say. Well, you can help by participating in the first Kalkaska Conservation District Bee Blitz! The knowledge gained from citizens like yourself will help us to gauge the abundance of native bee pollinators right in our own backyard.
The process is easy. You will go to the signup website listed below to register your interest in participating, and give us an idea about when you are available. This is important, since we won’t be able to set a date until just a day or two beforehand. Bees are very weather dependent, and we need a sunny day that isn’t too windy. The event is planned for the week of June 20th, which is National Pollinator Week. If you register for the event, you will be notified a day or so ahead of time as to the date and time to meet. The location will be the Seven Bridges Natural Area. And if you are unable to participate during the week of June 20th, there will be several other Bee Blitzes scheduled during the summer months of July and August, and into the fall as long as weather will allow.
After you indicate your interest and time and day availability, you will need to download the iNaturalist app on your cell phone. You can do this by finding it online at the App Store or Google Play. Once you download the app, you will create a profile for yourself. If you need help with any of this, you may contact Seth Lanning at the Conservation District by calling (231) 258-3307 or at his email seth.lanning@macd.org.
During the event, participants will walk through an area that has a number of flowers blooming, and photograph the bees on the flowers with your cellphones. Using the app, you’ll be able to share your photos with more than one million scientists, researchers, and citizen naturalists like yourself. The data you collect will help track local bee diversity that is being conducted around the world.
This is a fun event for young and old alike. Solo naturalists or families can participate. Children and young adults will enjoy the up-close exploration of our natural world. What better way to spend a beautiful summer day!
The link for registering for the Kalkaska Conservation District’s 2022 Bee Blitz events, which is also on the District’s social media page, is: https://forms.gle/RP1QirTLFGRnohLx9.
For more information, call Seth Lanning at 231-258-3307 or email him at seth.lanning@macd.org.