AUGUSTA, Maine — The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is seeking volunteers to assist in the Maine Bumble Bee Atlas, a five-year, statewide survey looking to document the different species of bumblebees in Maine, their range, and their abundance.
Volunteers are welcome from anywhere in Maine, but the department especially seeks participants from the northern and eastern halves of the state to fill survey gaps in Aroostook, Washington, Hancock and northern Penobscot counties.
A local volunteer training workshop is slated for Saturday, June 10, at Houlton High School from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The session is free and lunch will be provided.
Attendees will be trained in standardized survey and data collection protocol, and project staff will give presentations on bumblebee life history, ecology and conservation.
Preregistration is required; workshop space is limited and open to adults only. To register or for more information, visit http://mainebumblebeeatlas.umf.maine.edu/announcements/.
Registrants should read the Frequently Asked Questions for an explanation of what volunteering for MBBA entails.
The Maine Bumble Bee Atlas, coordinated in partnership with the University of Maine at Orono and Farmington, is modeled after MDIFW’s highly successful Maine Butterfly Survey and Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey, which marshal the efforts of volunteer citizen scientists from across Maine to increase knowledge on the status of the state’s insect fauna.
Participants do not need to have prior experience in surveying for bees — just an interest and willingness to learn and contribute data to the project.
