Join us on Saturday, June 25, 2016 for the second annual BeeBlitz!
Mark your calendar for the second annual BeeBlitz during National Pollinator Week. Nature lovers and concerned citizens in Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio are invited to get outside, snap pictures of honey & bumble bees on Saturday, June 25th, and upload their 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 the 25th. We encourage veteran and aspiring bee spotters alike to venture out on a nature walk and participate in the blitz.
The BeeBlitz is a state-wide event, but you can attend these local events:
June 25, 10-11am: BeeBlitz at the Pollinatarium
Join us at the Pollinatarium (606 W Windsor Rd, Urbana, IL 61801) on June 25, from 10-11AM to celebrate the conclusion of another National Pollinator Week. We will venture out into the fields surrounding the Pollinatarium and photograph honey & 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.
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!
June 25, 11am-1pm: Local prairie excursion
Entomology professor Sydney Cameron will lead an expedition to either Buffalo Trace Prairie at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve in Mahomet, IL (25 minute drive) or Meadowbrook Park in southern Urbana (3 minute drive). The expedition will leave around 11am from the Pollinatarium. Bring your camera or smartphone and be ready for an adventure!
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.
