Bombus (Western Bumblebee) habitat seed library: interim performance report

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This interim performance report describes objectives and accomplishments that are part of a larger undertaking. This report pertains to activities related to pollinator species goals in Boundary and Bonner counties of northern Idaho for a small portion of 2018. In June and July, we partnered with Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education (SOLE) to host one school field trip and three public ‘Family Day’ bumblebee surveys in Boundary County. We identified 10 bumblebee species during these workdays, but did not detect the western or the Suckley’s cuckoo bumblebees. In July, we facilitated a Pacific Northwest Bumblebee Atlas training, hosted in partnership by The Xerces Society, the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, and IDFG. This training was attended by 40 people. Many bumblebees were identified during the field portion of this training, but, again, none were western or Suckley’s cuckoo bumblebees. However, according to the Xerces Society, 13 training attendees went on from the training event to conduct formal bumblebee surveys in our region and have so far reported 413 bumblebees captured and identified, with 16 of them being western bumblebees. Two of these active bumblebee surveyors also went on to collect wildflower seed for the Bombus Habitat Seed Library. And four training attendees went on to collect wildflower seeds but not to conduct bumblebee surveys. In August we produced a wildflower seed collection manual (Boyd, K. 2018. The Bees to Bears Climate Adaptation Project Wildflower Seed Collection Manual. Idaho Department of Fish & Game, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA) for citizen scientists. In July, August, and September, we led group wildflower seed collection events and coordinated individual seed collection by volunteers. Activities contributed to improving landscape climate resiliency for western bumblebees and to developing programs for encouraging urban and rural landowners to create pollinator habitat. By the time of this interim report, we've engaged 88 individuals who have contributed a total of 436 volunteer hours during bumblebee surveys, group seed collection, and individual seed collection efforts. They've conducted bumblebee surveys in groups at 2 sites and collected wildflower seed (in groups or individually) at 14 sites. Seed from 14 species has been collected. A location database of seeds of pollinator forage species collected and bumblebees identified by volunteers in both group and individual efforts has been submitted.

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Electronic file - Zoology: Multiple Species