This year's growth, research, processing bees, events, and more!
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| Métis Nation of Alberta's Bumble Bee Survey Project |
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Article by Tiffani Harrison The Otipemisiwak Métis Government’s Environment and Climate Change (ECC) Department was buzzing with excitement early last year when they received funding from the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk to begin a 3-year bumble bee monitoring project. |
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| The ECC Department acquired their first parcel of land located in Lamont County in 2023, which marked the start of their Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) network they plan to build across Alberta. Upon baseline monitoring of this property in the summer of 2023, local ANBC Board Member Tiffani Harrison, recorded two bumble bee species at risk on the land (the special concern yellow-banded bumble bee [Bombus terricola], and the endangered gypsy cuckoo bumble bee [Bombus bohemicus]), inspiring her team to want to learn more. After securing funds, they began their new exciting project in spring 2024, with bumble bee surveys being carried out from late May to September on the IPCA. Through this project, the team are hoping to learn what bumble bee species call this land home, what flowers are available and being used by these crucial pollinators, and the availability of nesting/overwintering habitat for them on the IPCA. |
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| The ECC Department had a successful first year of surveys, recording nearly 930 individuals across 10 species. At least one individual of the two at-risk species were recorded in seven of the eight surveys conducted in 2024. The plants bumble bees were found to be foraging on during surveys were also recorded, which produced a list of ~30 different plant species being utilized throughout May to September on the IPCA. |
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| The team is excited to see what they will record in 2025! This project was further covered in a CBC news article and video earlier this year, and can be viewed here. |
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| ANBC 2025 Updates: A Year of Growth and Innovation |
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Here are some key achievements and exciting progress from the last year: Expanding Our Expertise We welcomed a full-time Native Bee Stewardship Specialist to our team in July, significantly enhancing our organization’s capacity. |
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| Collaborative Monitoring Our monitoring efforts have expanded through partnerships with 49 collaborators across Alberta. Together, we have deployed approximately 175 traps, with a strong focus on understudied regions, helping to build a more comprehensive understanding of native bee populations. We hope to build on the success of the last round of monitoring, which identified 15 potential new species records in the province. Read more here! |
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Our Valued Partners Include: - Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
- Alberta Forestry and Parks
- The Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen
- Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils
- Applied Research Associations
- Elk Island National Park
- Dedicated citizen scientists
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| Advancing Bee Identification Techniques This year, we are piloting DNA-based metabarcoding for genetic bee identification. We hope to simplify and standardize the identification process to save manpower. Enhancing Monitoring Accuracy Building on our pilot trials of different sampling methods, we have developed a refined monitoring program to address sampling biases and improve monitoring reliability. |
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| Engaging Corporate Support We launched a corporate partnership program to provide companies with an opportunity to support essential bee conservation efforts. In return, partners receive meaningful recognition and perks that showcase their commitment to environmental stewardship. See the perks below. Expanding Educational Resources We developed and printed a Central Alberta Bumblebee Identification Guide to help individuals recognize and support local bee species. The guide can be found here. Public Engagement We have been actively participating in community events, offering interactive tabling sessions, presentations, and pollinator walks to raise awareness and engage people of all ages in native bee conservation. |
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| Looking Ahead: Future Projects ANBC is always growing, and we are actively seeking funding for two exciting initiatives: - Bumble Bee Friendly Greenhouse Certification Program: An initiative aimed at promoting responsible greenhouse practices, ensuring the effective management of non-native bumble bees to safeguard native bee populations.
- Living Lawns Interactive Web App: A user-friendly tool designed to help individuals plan pollinator-friendly gardens, offering tailored planting plans and practical guidance for enhancing habitat quality.
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| Come join ANBC at the following events this upcoming season! |
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| How We Process Bees for Our Monitoring Program |
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Have you ever wondered what kind of work goes into a monitoring program? As part of our native bee monitoring efforts, we follow a structured protocol to process and identify bees which helps us track bee populations and understand their diversity. Our program aims to do this every 5 years, which helps minimize effects of sampling on bee populations. This year, we are using two methods: looking at their physical features (morphology) and using DNA analysis (metabarcoding) to identify species. Here is our process: Sorting and Cleaning Each bee sample gets a special ID tag and is recorded in our database. The bees are gently washed and dried to keep them in good condition. Bumble bees need to be fluffed with a hairdryer since the hair structure is important for identification. Then, we sort out the bees from the other insects.
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| Identifying Bees Some bees are studied under a microscope to identify their species based on features. Each one is labeled so we can keep track of where and when it was found. This helps us learn which species are present and how they compare to past years. Using DNA to Identify Bees For larger samples, we are using DNA metabarcoding, a method that helps identify many species at once. A small part of the bee is used for analysis, and the rest is safely stored for future reference. These samples are sent to a special lab that matches specific regions of their DNA (called barcodes) to known species DNA. |
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| Understanding the Results After the DNA is analyzed, we will get a list of species found in each sample. We will check the results to make sure they are accurate and flag specimens that might need further review. While this method helps us see which bees are present, it’s not always effective due to factors like variation in the amount of DNA extracted. By combining traditional methods with advanced technology, we can better identify native bees while creating an efficient and standardized protocol that can be followed by others. This information helps us protect and support these important pollinators. Stay tuned for more updates on our monitoring work! |
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Benefits for ANBC Members |
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Becoming an ANBC member is a great way to support native bee conservation. Membership starts at just $20/year and comes with great perks: voting rights, event discounts, priority volunteer access, exclusive news, and savings on native plants. Join now and make a difference! Keep an eye on your email for plant coupons! Members also receive 10% of items in our merch store, which has recently undergone an expansion! Check it out here. |
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| ANBC's Partnership Program |
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Interested in making a more meaningful contribution to native bee conservation? By becoming an Alberta Native Bee Council partner, your company will not only support essential bee conservation efforts but will also receive meaningful recognition and perks that highlight your commitment to environmental stewardship. Check them out here! |
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