NAME _________________________ DATE ____________ PER _________

Be Bee Friendly Table of Contents

DUE DATE Page #

Bee Webquest Garden Evaluation Pollinator ObservationsPictures of Data CollectionScreen Shots of Entered DataFood Diary/Pollinator AnalysisHome Connection Data AnalysisPersuasive Letter to Park/StoreVisual ……………………….. Turned in separately

Signature: _______________________

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BEE WEBQUEST

Use the following websites to conduct the webquest: “Rusty Patched Bumble Bee” US Fish and Wildlife Service September 21, 2016 https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/rpbb/factsheetrpbb.html

1. Which bee has been added to the Endangered Species List?

Common Name:______________________________________ Latin Name:______________________

2. What is an endangered species?

What is a Rusty Patched Bumble?3. Describe the Rusty patched bumble bee colony:

Habitat:4. What was the bee’s historic habitat?

5. What happened to the habitat?

6. Thoroughly describe the requirements the bees need:

Reproduction7. Describe the Queen’s behavior in spring:

8. Behavior in late summer:

Feeding Habit9. What month does the bee emerge in spring? _____________ Go into hibernation?_____________10. What does it need to survive?

11. The rusty patched bumble was _____________ distributed including _______states and ______ provinces in Canada. Since 2000, the bee has been reported in only _____ states and ____ provinces.

Why is the rusty patched bumble declining?

Habitat Loss and degradation:12. Most of the upper _______________ and _______________have been converted to ______________

________ or __________________ areas such as ___________ and __________.

Intensive Farming2

13. While increases in farm size and _____________________ advances have improved operating efficiency, what 4 practices have harmed the bumble bee?

a.

b.

c.

d.

Pesticides14. The rusty patched bumble bee is vulnerable to ____________________ which are used in cities and

__________. It has both ________________ and _______________________ toxic effects.

15. What two ways do the bees absorb the toxins?1. _________________________ 2_______________________________________________

16. Why is nesting in the ground a problem?

Global Climate Changes

17. What global climate changes may harm the bees?

18. What additional problems may the queen have?

What is being done to conserve rusty patched bumble bees?19. Concern about pollinator declines prompted the formation of:

Other Efforts20. The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service is working with landowners in what states:

21. What are they asking these landowners to do?

Research22. What are researchers doing?

What can I do to help conserve the rusty patched bumble bee?23. How does growing a garden or tree help?

Native Plants24. Which native plants are recommended?

25. What should you avoid?

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Natural Landscapes26. What examples are suggested for fostering Natural Landscapes?

“U.S. Adds Seven Types of Bees to Endangered Species List for First Time” US News Oct 1, 2016https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/01/bees-added-to-us-endangered-species-list-for-the-first-time

1. How many types of bees that were in abundance are facing extinction?

2. Where did this occur?3. What are the varieties of these bees?

4. What factors are contributing to endangering these bees?

5. Why are pollinators crucial?

6. Placing these yellow faced bees on the endangered list comes just after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service placed which other prized pollinator on the list?

“World’s Most Popular Pesticide Cuts Bee Sperm 39 Percent” NBC News July 27, 2016http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/world-s-most-popular-pesticide-cuts-bee-sperm-39-percent-n617911

1. As pollinators, bee populations are critical for what?

2. Their decline has gone from __________% to _________% since ______________.3. This is well above the _________% loss the USDA says is ___________________ for being

______________________ ________________________________.

4. The new study says they are not being _______________, they are just not being __________.

5. The world’s most popular class of ___________________________ actually cuts bee sperm by ______%. This was according to researchers at the University of ________________________.

6. These “________________________” pesticides banned in some countries are acting like a _____________________________ on the drones trying to impregnate eggs laid by the queen.

7. This study was the ___________ to test how the pesticides impacted drone _______________.

8. The two major consequences are: 1.

2.

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“Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms” New York Times March 28, 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/science/earth/soaring-bee-deaths-in-2012-sound-alarm-on-malady.html?_r=0

1. What is colony collapse disorder?

2. What is pollination? Why is pollination important to agriculture?

3. What are commercial hives? What is the relationship between crop farmers and the owners of commercial hives?

4. What are neonicotinoids? Why do many beekeepers suspect pesticides may play a role in colony collapse disorder?

5. What effect might colony collapse disorder have on the prices of bee-pollinated foods, like almonds? Why?

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GARDEN EVALUATIONYour job is to collect and enter data on pollinators in your neighborhood. If you have an outdoor space at home, please evaluate that space for it’s benefit to pollinators. If you don’t, please go to the nearest park or open space and complete the evaluation. Please answer the questions as best as you can. There are some definitions at the end in a glossary if you need more information.

PLEASE READ THROUGH THE EVALUATION PRIOR TO GOING OUTSIDE YOU MAY NEED TO DO SOME RESEARCH FIRST.

What neighborhood is your “garden” in? ________________________________________________________________

Address of Habitat: __________________________________________________________________________________

Size of Habitat (If your space is small, use a measuring tape and find the area. Or use Use GoogleEarth to estimate the area.):

_________________________ square yardsNEST SITES FOR GROUND NESTING BEES

Are there areas with sandy loamy soil (see glossary at the end)? YES NO

Are there areas with bare ground and very few plants? YES NO

Are there low traffic areas where the soil is not turned over, tilled or plowed? YES NO

NEST SITES FOR CAVITY OR STEM NESTING BEES.

Are there areas dead wood, brush piles or snags present? YES NO

Are there areas with pithy twigs (elderberry, sumac, etc… see glossary at the end)? YES NO

Do you have native bunchgrasses (grass not mowed)? YES NO

HABITAT ASSESSMENT

Are there bee nesting blocks (see glossary at the end)? YES NO

FLOWERS FOR POLLINATORS

What is the main type of vegetation in the area you are evaluating (park, garden, yard, farm...)?

Native wildflowers Mix of native and non-native plants Mostly non-native plants including vegetables Mostly grass All grass Other

How much of the whole yard, park, farm or green space is garden space or wild/natural vegetation?

A lot. More than 40%. Some. Between 21-40%. A little. Between 5-20%. Not much. Less than 5%. None

How much of the garden is planted with flowering annual or perennial plants (including shrubs, vegetables and trees)?

Most (more than 75%) A lot (51-75%) Some (25-50%) Not much (1-25%) None.

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Are the flowering plants that you have pollinator friendly (plants of various heights, including flowering trees and shrubs, and those with a range of flower shapes and sizes, and single flowers — those with one ring of petals — provide more nectar and pollen)?

Most (more than 75%) A lot (51-75%) Some (25-50%) Not much (1-25%) None.

How many flowers in your garden bloom in spring?

10 or more 7-9 4-6 1-3 none

How many flowers in your garden bloom in summer?

10 or more 7-9 4-6 1-3 none

How many flowers in your garden bloom in fall?

10 or more 7-9 4-6 1-3 none

Are flowers planted in clumps? YES NO

How much mulch is on the ground?

None. Some. Everywhere.

Is fresh, clean water always available with a perch that bees could stand on and drink? YES NO

Are pesticides used in the garden? YES NO

Does the garden use herbicides? YES Yes, but I have confirmed they are not toxic to bees. NO

How many different pollinator counts will you contribute this year?

Ten or more. Five or more. More than one. Just one. None this year.

ENTERING YOUR DATAGo to: https://www.greatsunflower.org/sunflower/habitat

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Click register a new account at the bottom. Fill out the form and submit. Then check your email to confirm your account.

Now you can enter your data from your pollinator observations and garden evaluation.

Click on evaluate your garden and enter your data.

At the end it will give you ideas about how to improve your garden to make it more pollinator friendly.

What was good or helpful to pollinators about your habitat?

1.

2.

3.

Write down 3 improvements your family can make to the habitat.

1.

2.

3.

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GLOSSARY:Sandy loam soil: Has a mixture of sand, clay, and silt. May feel slightly gritty in your hand. When wet, should be able to roll into a ball. If you want to test the soil texture follow steps 1-3 below.

TESTING FOR TEXTURE1. Add water to a small amount of dry soil, and form it into a ball if you can.

If you can’t form it into a ball it is a sand soil.

2. Knead the soil between your fingers to form a flat ribbon.

A hand-texturing test is one method for determining the texture of your soil.

3. How long is your ribbon?

To determine the texture of your soil, measure the ribbon.

If your ribbon measures less than 1 inch long before breaking, you have loam or silt.

If your ribbon measures 1 to 2 inches long before breaking, you have clay loam.

If your ribbon measures more than two inches long before breaking, you have clay.

Pithy wood: is soft and malleable. Grasp it between your fingers and squeeze it. If the twig is spongy and slightly resistant, there is healthy pithy wood inside. See picture below left.

Bee nesting blocks: can be made by drilling nesting holes between 3/32” and 3/8” in diameter, at approximately ¾: centers, into the side of a block of preservative-free lumber. See picture above right.

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POLLINATOR OBSERVATIONS

Background:

Imagine living in a world without flowers or fruit or even coffee or chocolate for that matter. Thanks to the wonderful work of pollinators like bees, much of the food we eat and flowers and plants we enjoy are possible.

And it’s not just bees that are doing all the work. Butterflies, birds, beetles, bats, wasps and even flies are important in the pollination process. But despite the importance of pollinators, they are taken for granted all too often. Worldwide, there is an alarming decline in pollinator populations. Excessive use of pesticides and an ever-expanding conversion of landscapes to human use are the biggest culprits.

It is estimated that more than 1,300 types of plants are grown around the world for food, beverages, medicines, condiments, spices and even fabric. Of these, about 75% are pollinated by animals. More than one of every three bites of food we eat or beverages we drink are directly because of pollinators. Indirectly, pollinators ultimately play a role in the majority of what we eat and consume.

Pollinators are vital to creating and maintaining the habitats and ecosystems that many animals rely on for food and shelter. Worldwide, over half the diet of fats and oils comes from crops pollinated by animals. They facilitate the reproduction in 90% of the world’s flowering plants.

Procedure:Today, you will be observing a section of land (a local park or outdoor area) and identifying the pollinators that the area receives. You will be identifying whether the pollinator was a bee, butterfly, bird, beetle, bat, wasp or fly. Each time the organism lands on a flower or plant, mark a tally. Each time you go out, you should do at least 6 observation periods of 5 minutes each. We ask for three of these observation sets, done either on the same day or on different days. (However, if you can do more, that is extra helpful). If possible, observe different flowers for each observation period, and each day you are out. However, it is not necessary to mark the flowers you observed in order to avoid them later.

1. When you arrive at the site, record the basics on your Data sheet: the date, time, weather, and your location. Set your stopwatch so that it counts down from 5 minutes to 0 and then beeps, so you don’t have to keep checking the time.

2. For each observation period, you’ll choose the number of flowers that you’d like to observe – these are your “focal flowers”. You should pick a new set of focal flowers for each observation period (different individuals – it is okay if they are very close by). Choose flowers that are in the sun, at least to start. It’s a little tricky to choose the right number – you want to observe as many as you can, but if you observe too many, you’ll miss something! I recommend starting by observing about 10 flowers: if you find yourself missing something, reduce that number for the next observation period, but if you think you have it covered, you can increase it. It is really important that you choose focal flowers at the beginning of the observation period and then stick with them. It’s easy to be tempted to add focal flowers halfway through your observation period, if there is a lot of activity on them.

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3. Find a place to sit near your focal flowers. Sit so that you are not casting a shadow on the plants.

4. Before starting each observation period, fill out the “visitation periods” section of the data sheet. Record the number of flowers you’ll be observing and the starting time of the observation period.

5. When you’re ready, start your stopwatch!

6. Throughout the 5 minute observation period, record any pollinator that forages on your focal flowers. Watch closely as it’s foraging, and then record the data as it is leaving. You’ll record the name of the pollinator group (either “bee” or “fly”, or the name of one of the 5 pollinator groups), the number of focal flowers that it visits, as well as any other observations you have about the visits. Record the identity of the visitor to the best of your ability! If you’re not sure what it is, just record it as “unknown” or “?” and describe it the best you can in the “notes” section. Is it a bee or a fly? What other insect does it resemble? What color is it? What size? It’s much better to be confident on your IDs than to be specific.

7. When the 5 minute observation period ends, fill in any data that you didn’t have time to write down during the observation period.

8. Then, move on to the next 5 minute observation period! Pick another set of focal flowers in a sunny area, record how many you will observe, and start another observation period.

Name: ____________________________ Date(s) of Observations: _________________________________

Location of Observations: ___________________________________________________________________

Plant Species Observed: ___________________________________________________________________

Notes on weather, location, patch: ____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Data Table 1: Observation Periods (5 minutes each)Period # Starting Time Focal Plants Notes

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

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Data Table 2: Pollinator Observations11

Period # Visiting Pollinator ID

# of Visits to Plant

Activity of the Pollinator Notes

Conclusion1. What is the total number of pollinators that visited each flower?

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2. What kinds of flowers attracted the most pollinators? Do they have anything in common?

3. Why do you think those flowers got more pollinators than other flowers?

4. Which pollinators were most common?

5. What did the pollinator do when it visited a flower? How long did each pollinator stay at each flower?

6. Did you see pollen on any of the pollinators?

7. Did you find anything challenging about this observation? How might your results be inaccurate?

8. Do you think pollinators visit many different types of flowers in a day or just a few? If you were a scientist, what kind of experiment could you do to test your hypothesis? Would it be hard or easy to learn the answer to this question? Why?

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FOOD DIARY

Objective: For this assignment, you will be analyzing your diet. In order to do this, you need to complete a three-day food diary. Accuracy is the key to a good project. If intake is recorded accurately, then your diet analysis will be more accurate.

In order to be as accurate as possible, keep these things in mind: It can be any days of the week, but must include one weekend day and two weekdays; they do not need to be

consecutive (ex: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday) Record serving size and the number of servings. Measure servings using standard measures (cups, tablespoon,

oz and lb)o Potato chips v. 1 small 1 oz bag

Record the brand when possible. Record all parts of the meal.

o Coffee v. coffee with 1 tablespoon ½ & ½, 1 teaspoon sugar Include all snacks and beverages. When you consume something homemade, be sure to include the ingredients so that you can enter the

information more accurately.o Homemade lasagna: 1 lb pasta, 2 jars (28 oz) pasta sauce, 1 lb ground beef (94% lean), 8 oz frozen

spinach, 1 lb ricotta cheese, 1 lb mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan cheeseo Determine the number of servings of the dish and record how many servings you consumed. For

instance, this lasagna might make 16 servings and 2 were consumed.

No one sees this information but your teacher, and you will not be judged or graded based on your dietary choices. Information about your diet will not be shared with anyone in the class unless you choose to do so.

o You will need to record the nutrition information from food labels, however, there are plenty of nutrition/calorie calculator websites that can help you if the food label is unavailable.

o Restaurant meals can be challenging and difficult to quantify. Do the best you can to look it up online or list the ingredients and determine the amount consumed.

Example of one day:

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Personal Food DiaryPlease type this diary or write in black ink.

Meal Day 1: _________________

Day 2:_________________ Day 3: _________________

Breakfast

Snack

Lunch

Snack

Dinner

Dessert

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Analysis of Pollinator Impact1. Highlight on your food diary all food that is connected to bees.

You can find that information and the information for your table at the following website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crop_plants_pollinated_by_bees While we do not usually use Wikipedia, the sources have been verified.

2. List all products that you ate on day 1 that are related to bees in column 1 in the table below. In column 2, list the specific organism that pollinates that food. In column 3, write the “pollinator impact” (1-4).

Food Item Pollinator Pollinator Impact

Pollinator Impact:1 – little to no impact2 – modest impact3 – great impact4 – essential impact

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