The Bees of Grand Staircase-Escalante film has launched!
Thank you immensely to everyone who attended the premiere last night and participated in the conversation with Olivia Carril, Allison Jones, Sarah Bauman and me. We estimate that we had around 800 people attend the event. What incredible turn out!
If you couldn't make it to the premiere or had to leave early, no worries! The film will be available to watch through Sunday, Oct. 4. We also recorded the conversation, and we’ll be posting it both as a stand-alone video and as a Bee Report podcast.
This project and premiere would not have been possible without the support and commitment of an incredible group of people and partners. This includes all of you – everyone who donated and contributed to this project! We would not have been able to do this fieldwork and we would not have been able to show you the bees without your support. You made this happen!
I’m super excited to get started on the next few projects I have in front of me. But first, I’m going to grab a quick nap.
Thank you, my friends! More soon!
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Get a cool t-shirt. Support essential science.
In coordination with the premiere of the Bees of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument film, the Grand Staircase Escalante Partners are doing another run of this super popular t-shirt, which features detailed images of four bees found in the monument. Proceeds from this limited run (available through Oct. 4) will support future research that will help us understand and protect the bees of GSENM. Men’s, women’s, short sleeve, long sleeve, all sorts of colors. I’ve already got mine. Get yours!
Economics
Scientists are ‘scent-training’ honey bees to boost pollination of certain crops by more than half
(Daily Mail) Researchers in Argentina found that exposing bees to foods scented with synthetic sunflower odor altered their choices about which plants to visit later. Exposure to the scent of sunflowers created ‘bee memories’ that influenced the insects to seek out sunflowers and bring back more sunflower pollen to their hives. This increased visitation also boosted flower production by somewhere between 29 to 57 percent, depending on the sunflower hybrid grown.
Pheromones used to attract bees in new almond nut pollination trial
(ABC News) How do you keep bees in your orchard when there are more attractive flowering plants in the vicinity? The answer may lie in pheromones. Dollops of pheromones have been sprayed into flowering almond orchards in Australia, with the aim of creating excitement among bees, thus creating more nuts.
Wildfire smoke may cause problems for California bees
(KCBS) “We know that smoke interacts with the type of smells used to find food, and basically either hides them or destroys them. So, it could well be that if you have these effects over such prolonged periods of time that bees start to get real trouble to find food.”
Closing the nature funding gap: A finance plan for the planet
(The Nature Conservancy) In order to sufficiently fund the protection of nature, we need to know exactly how much we’re currently spending – and how much more is needed. In essence, we need to determine what our nature funding gap looks like.
Policy/Law
Agreement reached to protect endangered rusty patched bumble bee at Minnetonka’s Lone Lake Park
(Center for Biological Diversity) The Center for Biological Diversity and the city of Minnetonka have reached an agreement to protect the endangered rusty patched bumble bee at Lone Lake Park, the site of a planned multi-use mountain-bike trail. Under the agreement, the city will implement numerous conservation measures, including creation of habitat for the bees and other pollinators.
Science
Results from No Mow May in Wisconsin city
(Twitter, Scott Black @XercesSB) “Cool research from the No Mow May community science initiative. No Mow May lawns have higher pollinator richness and abundances: An engaged community provides floral resources for pollinators.”
Guttation fluids provide nutrition – and pose potential danger – to pollinators
(Twitter, Scott McArt Lab @McArtLab) “Nice new study on nutrition present in plant guttation fluids. It’s worth noting that attraction of beneficial insects (pollinators, biocontrols) to these nutritious fluids can be dangerous when systemic insecticides are used”
Society/Culture
Photo claiming National Park Service gives watermelon to bees is false
A photo in an August post on Facebook that has been shared 47,000 times reads: “Before winter, the National Parks Service will offer dozens of watermelons to local bee colonies to help give them one last super-mega glucose burst to before winter finally sets in. The bees clearly appreciate this.” The National Park Service says the claim isn't true.
Diversity statements in entomology
(Twitter, Margarita Lopez-Uribe @mmlopezu) “Only 10% of the advanced programs in #Entomology in the US have publicly available diversity statements! If you are interested in developing one for your graduate program, read this new article”
Bees encase raw-material embroideries with honeycomb in new works of art
(Colossal) When Ava Roth adds the last stitch grasping horsehair or porcupine quills to her embroidered artworks, she passes the fibrous material on to her black-and-yellow counterparts. The Toronto-based artist collaborates with bees to encase her mixed-media pieces in waxy honeycomb. What emerges are organic artworks that consider interspecies interactions and the beauty that such meetings can garner.
(UConn) Why would a psychologist study honey bees? “My research focuses on collective intelligence – how a group can work together successfully without guidance from a leader. Honeybees are a group that work together, they communicate. But the difference is that honeybees do it very well, and humans are not always as successful while working together in groups.”
Technology
How smart tech could help save the world's honey bees
(CNN) With bees in demand for a booming pollination industry, there are a number of other startups promoting new technologies, including ApisProtect in Ireland, Pollenity in Bulgaria, Arnia in the United Kingdom and BeeHero in Israel.
One More Thing…
Check out this episode from Undark Magazine's podcast: Capturing the Songs of a Changing Climate. Acoustic ecologists are racing to record Earth’s shifting soundscapes before they disappear.