SciStarter Blog

Map pollination while beautifying your garden

Think you can spot the difference between and a honey bee and a bumble bee? Well, there’s one day left to test your bee knowledge with the online Bee Challenge, brought to you by the folks at the Great Pollinator Project!

A collaboration between the Greenbelt Native Plant Nursery and the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, the Great Pollinator Project calls upon citizen scientists to help  researchers better understand the 200 species of bees that live  in New York City by observing and recording data on bees in their urban backyards, community gardens, or rooftops.  Why? For one thing, declines in certain bee populations may be affecting food production. Pollination–a primary function of bees–contributes to one-third of our food (fruits and vegetables)!

Looking for a great way to contribute to science while becoming an “A” Bee Student? Why not participate in the Great Pollinator Project?