Locals help researchers in tracking vulnerable bumblebee population: 'People literally are finding rare species in their backyards'

Community volunteers near Madison, Wisconsin, are helping scientists identify and conserve rare bumblebees.

As the Sierra Club reported, the volunteers are affiliated with a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources program that aims to determine where bumblebees live throughout the state and which plants they prefer. 

Several participatory science and citizen science programs throughout the state involve resident volunteers gathering data about bees. By better understanding bees' geographic ranges, population sizes, and common habits, conservationists can track bumblebees and preserve the vulnerable species. 

In just one of these Wisconsin programs, over 300 people have already volunteered to submit photos of bumblebees they encounter around their homes and in local parks. Meanwhile, the national Bumble Bee Watch program has over 100,000 registered volunteers, per the Sierra Club.

These community programs are significant because North America's bumblebee population has rapidly declined because of extreme weather, pesticide use, and habitat loss. According to the Xerces Society, an estimated 28% of bumblebees on the continent are at risk of becoming extinct, which is a problem because they are crucial pollinators for crops and native plants.

But the community benefits go far beyond just the bees. 

Engaging in science and nature education programs is a rewarding hobby that benefits mental and physical health. These types of programs also inspire homeowners to make their yards friendlier places for pollinators by growing native plants and avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. 

Victoria MacPhail helped launch Bumble Bee Watch and has witnessed the beneficial effects of community data collection on bumblebee populations. Volunteer reports of the bees have identified new populations at expanded ranges and filled crucial data gaps because professional researchers can't be everywhere at once. 

"One of my findings was that a quarter of all [bumblebee] records in the last decade came from citizen scientists," said MacPhail. "Importantly, these volunteers are also finding populations of bumblebees that scientists didn't previously know existed. People literally are finding rare species in their backyards."

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