Join us on Saturday, June 16, 2018 for the fourth annual BeeBlitz!
Mark your calendar for the fourth annual BeeBlitz kicking off National Pollinator Week. Nature lovers and concerned citizens in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio are invited to get outside and snap pictures of honey & bumble bees on Saturday, June 16th. Then, upload your findings to BeeSpotter, the citizen science project run in collaboration between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Entomology and the Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education.
The name BeeBlitz is derived from a BioBlitz, an activity in which all of the biodiversity in a specific area is examined, to provide a snapshot in time of the flora and fauna present. We want to know what species of honey & bumble bees are seen, and where they are, on this day. We encourage veteran and aspiring bee spotters alike to venture out on a nature walk and participate in the blitz.
BeeBlitz Events
We have a number of BeeBlitz events scheduled throughout the day for the Champaign-Urbana area. You can help us plan by letting us know you’re interested, though you’re welcome to participate even if you don’t sign up in advance.
June 16, 10:30AM – Noon: Meadowbrook Park
A guided expedition through Meadowbrook Park’s Sensory Garden and Spomer Prairie is departing from the Garden Pavilion (found at the Race Street entrance to Meadowbrook Park) at 10:30 a.m. Bring your camera or smartphone and comfortable walking shoes, and be ready for an adventure! Call 217-384-4062 by Friday, June 15th to let us know you are coming.
View an annotated map of Meadowbrook Park (PDF).
The Meadowbrook Park BeeBlitz is part of a series of outdoor events taking place at Meadowbrook Park on June 16, 2018. Check out A Day At Meadowbrook Park and plan a whole day of outdoor adventures!
June 16, Noon – 4:30PM: Pollinatarium
Join us at the Pollinatarium (606 W Windsor Rd, Urbana, IL 61801) on June 17, from 10 a.m. to noon to kick off another National Pollinator Week. We will venture out into the fields surrounding the Pollinatarium and photograph honey and bumble bees, then upload the photos to BeeSpotter. We encourage you to bring your camera or smartphone, though we will have cameras available for those who need one. We will also have computers available so you can upload your spottings immediately, should you wish to do so.
This event is free and open to the public. Feel free to come for the whole time or stop in for only part of the event. We’d love to have you join us, even if only for 20-30 minutes!
Getting involved
You can help us plan by letting us know you’re interested, though you’re welcome to participate even if you don’t sign up in advance.
If you can’t make it to the events we have planned, you can still participate! All you have to do is go outside and take a few bee photos on June 17th, and upload them to BeeSpotter. You don’t need to upload them immediately; just be sure to select the correct date when uploading. They will automatically be counted as part of the BeeBlitz collection!
