Iowa Needs Volunteers to Count Bumble Bees This Summer

Thousands of Iowans are grabbing cameras and heading into fields this summer for an unusual mission: counting bumble bees to help save them.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is recruiting volunteers for the Bumble Bee Atlas, a nationwide project tracking bee populations and their habits. Iowa is working alongside Nebraska, Missouri, and Minnesota in a special four-state study to understand what bees need to survive.

The results so far paint a hopeful picture. Iowa volunteers have completed 644 surveys and counted 7,198 individual bees since the project began in 2024. They've identified 13 different bumble bee species, including five priority species that scientists most wanted to find.

Nebraska participants have been equally enthusiastic, conducting 396 surveys across their state in 2025 alone. These citizen scientists are filling crucial gaps in our knowledge about pollinators that keep ecosystems healthy.

Getting involved is easier than you might think. You can submit bee photos and locations online at Bumble Bee Watch without any training. For those wanting deeper involvement, free online training sessions run through next month, led by the Xerces Society in partnership with Iowa DNR and Iowa State University.

Field training days are planned for June and July to help people get comfortable photographing bees up close. Wildlife biologist Stephanie Shepherd says the work is rewarding but requires patience. "It's a fun but challenging survey," she explained. "It requires you to be outdoors for a while in the heat capturing bumble bees."

She reassures nervous volunteers that bumble bees are gentle creatures. "Bumble bees are incredibly docile, especially when foraging," Shepherd said. "The only time they may be aggressive is near their nest."

Iowa particularly needs help in four unsurveyed areas covering parts of Mills, Montgomery, Fremont, Page, Winnebago, Worth, Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Woodbury, Ida, Jones, and Linn counties. The surveying season runs from June through October.

The Ripple Effect

This grassroots science project shows how ordinary people can drive real conservation progress. Every bee counted helps researchers understand habitat needs and protect pollinators that fertilize crops and wildflowers. The data volunteers collect will guide conservation efforts for years to come.

After 2026, the project shifts from inventory to long-term monitoring. The focus will expand to include all at-risk species, including the rusty-patched bumble bee, which needs special protection.

Your summer weekends could help save the tiny workers that keep our world blooming.