Abstract: Monitoring the health, abundance, and phenology of bees requires extensive resources and personnel. Citizen science can relieve this burden by summoning the public to contribute to data collection. Citizen science also affords opportunities for experiential learning, contextualizing participants’ experiences in the real world. At Bee Campus USA certified colleges, citizen science projects can engage community members in bee-focused research benefiting key conservation efforts and educational outreach. Such projects transcend academic disciplines, uniting the community in a common cause. A genuine appreciation for bees in their role as pollinators is a key motivating factor in participating in citizen science projects and aiding in bee conservation.
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Many species of bees are threatened. An accurate assessment of their distribution, abundance, and phenology drives conservation efforts. Citizen science invites the public to participate in large-scale data collection on bees, assisting professional researchers in making recommendations to remediate anthropogenic causes of species decline. Citizen scientists commonly collect data in public and private gardens and within managed bee populations, but rarely in educational settings. A handful of bee-focused citizen science projects have been administered in the K-12 sector, but such projects are lacking in higher education. With college campuses open during the summer months, correlating with bees’ most active period, college students are ideal citizen scientists. Citizen science research can be built into college curricula, allowing students to participate in co-creating projects and managing them online. College campuses, many of which are certified Bee Campuses, are also well equipped to implement meaningful conservation efforts based on the findings of citizen science student projects.
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Ecology Project International (EPI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing place-based, ecological education partnerships between local experts and high school students to address critical conservation issues. This photo essay depicts local students in action at EPI’s programs in Baja California Sur – Mexico, the Galapagos Islands – Ecuador, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The photos show students engaging in field science, applied conservation, and sustainability-related activities geared toward helping them develop environmental literacy.
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