Community Science: Bee Pinning Party

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MMWD and San Francisco State University have begun inventorying pollinators, primarily bees, on the mountain this spring. This will be the first time this part of Marin has ever been surveyed for pollinators! Researchers will also generate a historical species list and review plant species currently known to be extirpated or declining, to identify potential pollinator species at risk. They will also seek to understand changes in bee composition relevant to MMWD’s Forest Resiliency Project, and whether fuel break work opens up the landscape for bee populations to increase. The team has chosen sites with high wildflower diversity, a good predictor for pollinators. The sites will be sampled again in five years to study species increases or decreases - however, information from this will be immediately useful to land managers. The data sampling method aligns with methods used nationally, so the data can be compared to sites across the nation. The team may even encounter new species of California pollinators!

This volunteer event involves sorting through the insects that were collected in traps on the mountain. We will separate bees from other insects and debris and then attach the bees to small pins by piercing them with the pins or gluing them to the pins. These specimens are then stuck in a board and sent off to entomologists for further study.

For more information on how to save the bees, improve your garden for pollinators, and get involved with community science in your own backyard visit https://www.greatsunflower.org. Gretchen LeBuhn is a local Marin resident as well!

Bring a lunch; MMWD will provide snacks and water. Volunteers will be sitting for the majority of the event. We ask that all volunteers arrive by 9:00; folks can leave any time after noon; we end at 2:00.

Meet at Corte Madera offices: 220 Nellen Blvd, Corte Madera CA 94925. Ages 13 and up. Register by emailing volunteerprogram@marinwater.org or calling 415-945-1128.

The entrance is on the East side of the building at 220 Nellen Ave, Corte Madera, CA 94925. Enter the parking lot from Tamal Vista Drive and there will be a sign posted by the door. There will also be a sign on the street indicating the location.