Iowa Volunteers Triple Bumble Bee Surveys in One Year

Iowans are proving that saving endangered species can start in your backyard with a net and a cooler full of ice.

More than 120 volunteers logged over 5,400 bumble bee observations across Iowa in 2025, a stunning jump from just 34 participants and fewer than 120 observations when the state started its Bumble Bee Atlas in 2023. The citizen science project helps track where different bee species live and what habitats they need to survive.

The process is surprisingly simple. Volunteers spend about 45 minutes in a football field sized area catching bumble bees with large insect nets. Once captured, the bees go into vials and then into coolers where they temporarily chill out and stop moving.

The cold makes the bees immobile long enough for volunteers to snap photos and identify the species without harming them. Once the bees warm up, they fly away unharmed. Volunteers also note what plants grow nearby and where they found each bee.

Iowa is one of 20 states participating in the nationwide Bumble Bee Atlas, led by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. The project tracks nearly 50 bumble bee species across North America, many facing threats from habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, and disease.

The data is already revealing which bees call Iowa home. Volunteers have identified 13 different species so far, including the common eastern bumble bee and the brown-belted bumble bee. They've also spotted the federally endangered rusty patched bumble bee and the parasitic lemon cuckoo bumble bee with its distinctive yellow markings.

The Ripple Effect

The information volunteers collect goes far beyond simple bee counting. Scientists use this data to identify which habitats are most critical to protect and restore for struggling pollinator populations.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is hosting free field training events in July to teach more people how to participate. Sessions run July 11 at Honey Creek State Park, July 19 at Pony Creek Nature Center, and July 25 at Nahant Marsh Education Center. The events welcome adults and kids over 8 years old.

The state divides Iowa into 57 survey grid cells that volunteers can adopt. Three cells still haven't had a single survey, while others have hosted 11 or more. Organizers are asking volunteers who can travel to focus on these underserved areas this year.

According to the Bumble Bee Atlas, managing existing habitat and creating new spaces for bumble bees are the most immediate steps anyone can take to help these fuzzy pollinators survive. The work matters because bumble bees pollinate wildflowers and crops that feed both wildlife and people.

What started with a handful of curious Iowans has grown into a movement showing that ordinary people can make extraordinary contributions to science and conservation.