Geocaching for Rare Native Bees!

What if your next outdoor adventure was like geocaching—but instead of finding hidden containers, you found rare native bees?

The Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) has identified several native bee species that are of regional conservation concern, and anyone can help document them.

Here's how the "game" works:

🎯 The cache: Find a blooming host plant.

🐝 The treasure: A rare or uncommon native bee visiting the flowers.

📍 The coordinates: Record the plant's location and photograph any bees you find.

📱 The logbook: Upload your observations to iNaturalist.

Many of these bees are specialists, visiting only certain flowers for pollen. Your mission is to search for blooming plants such as flowering raspberry, lupines, beardtongues, holly, maleberry, yellow wild indigo, bee balm, pickerelweed, loosestrife, goldenrods, asters, willows, and other native plants. Watch the flowers for about 10 minutes, photograph every bee you can, and upload your observations. Even common bees—or a survey where you don't find any bees—can provide valuable information.

You don't need to be an expert. The iNaturalist community helps identify both the plants and the insects, making this a fun community science project for everyone.

Like geocaching, this adventure may lead you to beautiful forests, wetlands, meadows, roadsides, and hidden natural places you might never have visited otherwise. Every blooming patch is a potential "cache," and every bee is an exciting discovery.

Whether you're a gardener, hiker, photographer, geocacher, birder, or simply enjoy exploring Vermont's outdoors, I'd love to have you join the search.

For the complete list of target plants, bloom times, bee species, survey protocol, and conservation information, visit my latest blog post: Help Survey N.E. Native Bees of Conservation Concern

Let's see how many of Vermont's remarkable native bees we can find together!

Remember, inverting (The Joy of Observing Invertebrates) is becoming the new birding!

Tell your friends, "There is a new fun game in town - Geocaching for Rare Bees!

Help Survey N.E. Native Bees of Conservation Concern

The Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) has identified several native bee species that are of regional conservation concern in the Northeast.

Now we have an opportunity to help.

Many of these bees are specialists—they visit only one or a handful of plant species for pollen. If we know which plants they depend on and when those plants bloom, we have a much better chance of finding and documenting these remarkable insects.

Will you help?

As you spend time outdoors this season, whether in your own yard, along a trail, at a conservation area, or beside a wetland, keep an eye on the flowering plants listed below. When you find one in bloom, take a few minutes to watch for visiting bees.

If you photograph one of the target bee species—or even an unfamiliar bee visiting one of these plants—please upload your observations to iNaturalist. Every quality observation helps researchers better understand where these bees occur, when they are active, and which habitats continue to support them.

You don't have to be an expert. The beauty of iNaturalist is that observations are reviewed by a community of naturalists and specialists who can often help identify both the bee and the plant.

Fun -  Geocaching rare bees.

Like geocaching, this is an activity that can take you to amazing and beautiful places. In this case, the cache is the food/host plants that support bees of regional concern. The treasures are the rare bee species. All around Vermont, you can search for first the plants, then the bees, and record the coordinates of the plant and the bee. Or use others' plant coordinates to find the plants and bees. See protocol further below.

What to Watch For

Many of the bees of regional concern are closely tied to specific native plants, including:

• Willows (Salix)
• Bellworts (Uvularia)
• Lupines (Lupinus)
• Beardtongues (Penstemon)
• Flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus)
• Dogwoods (Cornus)
• Holly (Ilex)
• Maleberry (Lyonia ligustrina)
• Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)
• Loosestrifes (Lysimachia)
• Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)
• Bee Balm (Monarda)
• Blueberries and Cranberries (Vaccinium)
• Goldenrods (Solidago)
• Native Asters (Symphyotrichum)

A complete list of the target bees, their preferred food plants, bloom times, habitats, and flight seasons is included below. Also the threats that endanger them.

Food/Host Plants that support Bees of Regional Concern

Plant Species	Plant Common Name	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	Bee species	Flight season
Salix discolor	Pussy Willow	3	4	5						Andrena nida	Spring
Salix nigra	Black willow	3	4	5						Andrena nida	Spring
Fragaria virginiana	Wild or Virginia Strawberry		4	5						Osmia lignaria	March-June
Salix eriocephala	Heart-leaved Willow or Woolly-headed Willow		4	5						Andrena nida	Spring
Salix fragilis	Crack Willow		4	5						Andrena nida	Spring
Salix pendulina	Common weeping willow hybrid		4	5						Andrena nigrae	May
Salix petiolaris	Meadow Willow		4	5						Andrena nida	Spring
Solidago bicolor	White Goldenrod or Silverrod		4	5						Andrena braccata	August-October
Uvularia sessilifolia	Sessile-leaved bellwort or wild oats		4	5						Andrena uvulariae	Spring
Viola rotundifolia	Round-leaved yellow violet		4	5						Osmia lignaria	March-June
Erigeron philadelphicus	Philadelphia fleabane		4	5	6					Protandrena aestivalis	Late summer to fall
Fragaria vesca	Woodland strawberry		4	5	6					Osmia lignaria	March-June
Houstonia caerulea	Azure bluets or Quaker ladies		4	5	6					Macropis ciliata	May-August
Viola eriocarpa	Smooth yellow violet		4	5	6					Osmia lignaria	March-June
Viola labradorica	Labrador violet		4	5	6	7				Osmia lignaria	March-June
Prunus pensylvanica	Pin Cherry or Fire Cherry			5						Osmia lignaria	March-June
Vaccinium corymbosum	Northern Highbush Blueberry			5						Habropoda laboriosa	March-May
Cornus alternifolia	Pagoda dogwood or alternate-leaf dogwood			5	6					Andrena parnassiae	May-July
Cornus sericea	Red-osier Dogwood			5	6					Andrena parnassiae	May-July
Erigeron pulchellus	Robin's Plantain			5	6					Protandrena aestivalis	Late summer to fall
Lysimachia borealis	Starflower			5	6					Macropis ciliata	May-August
Prunus virginiana	Chokecherry			5	6					Osmia lignaria	March-June
Rubus occidentalis	Black raspberry			5	6					Osmia felti	June-August
Rubus pubescens	Dwarf red blackberry or dwarf raspberry			5	6					Osmia lignaria	March-June
Uvularia grandiflora	Large-flowered Bellwort or Merrybells			5	6					Andrena uvulariae	Spring
Vaccinium myrtilloides	Velvet-leaf blueberry or sour-top blueberry			5	6					Habropoda laboriosa	March-May
Viola rostrata	Long-spurred violet			5	6					Osmia lignaria	March-June
Amorpha fruticosa	False Indigo-Bush			5	6	7				Hylaeus saniculae	June-August
Cornus canadensis	Bunchberry or creeping dogwood			5	6	7				Andrena parnassiae	May-July
Cornus racemosa	Gray Dogwood			5	6	7				Andrena parnassiae	May-July
Geranium maculatum	Wild geranium or spotted cranesbill			5	6	7				Osmia lignaria	March-June
Ilex verticillata	Winterberry			5	6	7				Colletes banksi	April-July
Lupinus polyphyllus	Bigleaf or Garden Lupin			5	6	7				Habropoda laboriosa	March-May
Lysimachia thyrsiflora	Tufted loosestrife			5	6	7				Macropis ciliata	May-August
Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Virginia Creeper			5	6	7				Lasioglossum marinum	April-October
Rubus allegheniensis	Allegheny blackberry			5	6	7				Osmia felti	June-August
Trifolium pratense	Red Clover			5	6	7				Osmia proxima	May-September
Vaccinium macrocarpon	American Cranberry			5	6	7				Habropoda laboriosa	March-May
Viola canadensis	Canada White Violet			5	6	7				Osmia lignaria	March-June
Vicia cracca	Tufted vetch, cow vetch, or bird vetch			5	6	7	8			Osmia lignaria	March-June
Geranium robertianum	Herb-Robert or Stinky Bobpotted cranesbill			5	6	7	8	9	10	Osmia lignaria	March-June
Lyonia ligustrina	Maleberry or he-huckleberry				6	7				Melitta melittoides	May-September
Parthenocissus tricuspidata	Boston Ivy				6	7				Lasioglossum marinum	April-October
Rubus hispidus	Swamp dewberry or bristly dewberry				6	7				Osmia felti	June-August
Salix interior	Sandbar Willow				6	7				Andrena nida	Spring
Vaccinium oxycoccos	Small cranberry				6	7				Habropoda laboriosa	March-May
Apocynum androsaemifolium	Spreading Dogbane				6	7	8			Macropis ciliata	May-August
Apocynum cannabinum	Hemp dogbane or Indian hemp				6	7	8			Macropis ciliata	May-August
Erigeron strigosus	Prairie or Rough Fleabane				6	7	8			Protandrena aestivalis	Late summer to fall
Lysimachia nummularia	Creeping Jenny or Moneywort				6	7	8			Macropis nuda	June-September
Lysimachia quadrifolia	Whorled Yellow Loosestrife				6	7	8			Epeoloides pilosulus	June-July
Lysimachia terrestris	Swamp Candles or Swamp Yellow Loosestrife				6	7	8			Macropis nuda	June-September
Rubus odoratus	Purple-flowering raspberry				6	7	8			Osmia proxima	May-September
Erigeron annuus	Eastern Daisy Fleabane				6	7	8	9	10	Protandrena aestivalis	Late summer to fall
Lysimachia ciliata	Fringed loosestrife					7	8			Epeoloides pilosulus	June-July
Monarda fistulosa	Bee Balm or Scarlet Bee Balm					7	8			Dufourea monardae	July and August
Solidago juncea	Early Goldenrod					7	8			Andrena braccata	August-October
Bidens beckii	Beck's water-marigold					7	8	9		Lasioglossum marinum	April-October
Bidens frondosa	Devil's Beggarticks or Common Beggarticks					7	8	9		Lasioglossum marinum	April-October
Cichorium intybus	Chicory					7	8	9		Dufourea monardae	July and August
Pontederia cordata	Pickerelweed					7	8	9		Melissodes apicatus	March-July
Erigeron canadensis	Canadian horseweed or Canada fleabane					7	8	9	10	Protandrena aestivalis	Late summer to fall
Parnassia glauca	Fen grass of Parnassus						8	9		Andrena parnassiae	August-October
Solidago altissima	Tall goldenrod						8	9		Andrena canadensis	August-September
Solidago squarrosa	Stout or squarrose goldenrod						8	9		Andrena braccata	August-October
Solidago uliginosa	Bog Goldenrod						8	9		Dianthidium simile	July-September
Solidago caesia	Blue-stemmed or Wreath Goldenrod						8	9	10	Andrena braccata	August-October
Solidago flexicaulis	Canada Goldenrod						8	9	10	Andrena canadensis	August-September
Solidago gigantea	Giant Goldenrod or Late Goldenrod						8	9	10	Andrena braccata	August-October
Solidago puberula	Downy Goldenrod						8	9	10	Andrena braccata	August-October
Solidago rugosa	Wrinkle-leaf goldenrod or rough-stemmed goldenrod						8	9	10	Andrena braccata	August-October
Symphyotrichum cordifolium	Blue Wood Aster or Heart-leaved Aster						8	9	10	Protandrena aestivalis	Late summer to fall
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae	New England Aster						8	9	10	Dianthidium simile	July-September
Symphyotrichum puniceum	Swamp Aster or Purplestem Aster						8	9	10	Dianthidium simile	July-September

Native bee species that are of regional concern in the Northeast 

From The Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA)

Sorted by bee species

Bee Species	Food/host plants	Habitat	Flight Season	Threats
Andrena braccata	Solidago specialist (has been collected on other Asteraceae)	open deep sandy soils/dunes, meadows, pollinator plantings	August-October	Habitat loss from development, herbicides killing host plant
Andrena nida	Salix (Willow) specialist	hardwood forest,  wetlands, Wet areas with willow	Spring	Loss of host plant/draining of wetlands
Andrena rehni	Specialist on Castanea; Castanea dentata (American chestnut) and C. pumila (chinquapin)	Forest edges and openings where chinquapin can bloom along with American chestnut backcross orchards and plantings	May-July	Loss of chestnuts from chestnut blight
Andrena uvulariae	Bellwort (Uvularia) specialist, U. sessilifolia	Woodlands and forests with Uvularia populations (can be scattered), forest edges	Spring	invasive species
Epeoloides pilosulus	Host species collect pollen and oils from native Lysimachia; Lactuca pulchella (DL)	This species is found in prairies, fields, and wetlands	June-July	Loss of habitat due to development, agriculture, invasive species and utility corridors
Lasioglossum marinum	range of herbaceous plants; Bidens, Helianthus and Parthenocissus, Alternanthera floridana	Only in dunes and open sandy beaches adjacent to salt water including urban areas	April-October	Habitat loss, sea level rise
Macropis ciliata	Collect oils from Lysimachia. Specialist on Lysimachia, but nectars on Apocynum, Houstonia, Hydrangea, Rhus glabra, Melilotus officinalis, Ceanothus americanus	Open area with loosestrife usually wetlands or shrubby areas	May-August	Loss of habitat (host plant)
Macropis patellata	Lysimachia specialist (L. ciliata)	variety of wetland habitats with native Lysimachia	June-August	Loss of specialist host plant from development, climate change
Melissodes apicatus	Pickerelweed specialist (Pontedaria cordata)	Extensive Pontedaria cordata beds in freshwater tidal areas	March-July	Loss of pickerelweed beds
Melitta melittoides	Specialist on Lyonia (has only records for Lyonia ligustrina and not other species)	Scrub, transitional habitats, edges of wetlands where Lyonia occurs	May-September	Reduction of host plant
Osmia felti	Ribes missouriense (DL), Rubus, Vaccinium angustifolium, Viola sagittata, Sericocarpus linifolius,  (iNat)	Associated with sandy barrens	June-August	Habitat loss, Fire suppression, competition and pathogens from non-native bees
Protandrena aestivalis	Late season Asteraceae; Asteraceae: Astereae: Chrysopsis (Nutt.) Elliott, Erigeron L., Solidago L., Symphyotrichum Nees	Likely associated with sandy open fields. Summer Miner Bee has been observed near managed grasslands and floodplain forest habitat types, but has also been observed in shrublands	Late summer to fall
Andrena canadensis	Aster and Solidago	Sandy areas	August-September	Habitat and host plant loss
Andrena nigrae	Salix (willow) pollen specialist, might use other plants for nectar	old field, cropland, orchard, wetland, Wetlands and cultural landscapes with willow	May	Habitat/host plant loss
Andrena parnassiae	Parnassia caroliniana, Parnassia glauca, other Parnassia?	conifer forest, mixed forest, hardwood forest, wetlands, bogs/fens, seeps	August-October	Habitat loss, hydrological alteration that disrupts wetlands, climate change, invasion by exotic plants, water pollution, pathogens, insecticides, herbicides, off-road vehicles, mowing of roadside host plants
Andrena persimulata	Dogwood specialist, also collected on Viburnum, subgenus Swida	Wet Meadow/Shrub Swamp, forest, open habitat	May-July	Habitat loss and degradation, invasive plants and pathogens, pesticides, climate change
Anthophora walshii	yellow wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria), orange milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and goldenrods (Solidago spp.), and more	open coastal habitats on sandy soil where yellow wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) is relatively abundant. Habitats include sandplain grasslands and similar anthropogenic habitats such as utility rights-of-way and fire breaks.	July-September	habitat loss, fire suppression, introduced pathogens, aerial insecticide spraying, non-target herbicide application, excessive deer browse of host plants, and off-road vehicles
Colletes banksi	Ilex (holly) specialist	areas of shrubby Ilex; sandy or wetland	April-July	Loss of host plant; rare species and much is unknown
Colletes solidaginis	Solidago (goldenrod) specialist	Open landscapes containing Solidago populations, possibly restricted to sandy areas, coastal areas	July-September	Habitat and host plant loss
Dianthidium simile	Symphyotrichum, Solidago	Sandy areas, lakeshores, coastal	July-September	Habitat and host plant loss
Dufourea monardae	Monarda (bee balm) specialist; sometimes others, M. fistulosa, Cichorium intybus, Amorpha canescens,  Nepeta cataria, Fagopyrum esculentum	Shrublands, Wet Meadow/Shrub Swamp, Mixed Northern Hardwoods, Floodplain Forest/Freshwater Marsh, Old Field/Managed Grasslands	July and August	Loss of host plant, habitat loss and degradation, invasive plants, pathogens, pesticides, climate change
Epeolus canadensis	Rudbeckia hirta (DL)	Forest edges, meadows, disturbed sandy areas	Summer	unknown, but regionally rare
Habropoda laboriosa	Cercis L., Lupinus L., Vaccinium L.	deep well-drained sandy soils where Vaccinium blooms	March-May	Habitat loss, reduction in blueberries from forestry production
Hylaeus saniculae	Generalist: Aralia hispida,  Amorpha fruticosa, Cicuta maculata, Crataegus crus-galli, Cryptotaenia canadensis, Eulophus americanus, Heracleum lanatum, Polygonum scandens, Sanicula canadensis, Sanicula marilandica, Taenldia integerrima and Thaspium trifoliatum (DL)	open areas	June-August	Unknown but the species is very rare
Lasioglossum georgeickworti	Baptisia, Lindernia, not totally clear	Coastal beach, maritime dune and grassland, some interior sand	all seasons	Erosion of coastal dunes.
Macropis nuda	Lysimachia ciliata specialist; also other Lysimachia Apocynum,  Lactuca pulchella	Intact wetland habitat where native loosestrifes occur is critical foraging habitat for this species. M. nuda is known from prairie fens, wet-mesic prairies, ephemeral wetlands, ditches, and along waterways	June-September	Climate change, land use change, invasive plant species, pesticides
Melitta americana	Vaccinium specialist	Cranberry bogs and other boggy habitats; nests in sandy/loose soils, sandhill	April-July	Important pollinators of cranberry/blueberry so vulnerable to pesticides
Nomada electa	Host is Solidago specialist	Same as Andrena braccata, potentially deep sandy soils	August-October	Threats to host species
Osmia lignaria	Wide range of herbaceous and woody plants; Cercis, Fragaria, Geranium, Lupinus, Malus, Prunus, Rubus, Salix, Vicia and Viola (DL)	This species is found in many habitat types, including orchards and gardens, is a generalist floral visitor. Woodlands, edges, gardens, and nearby open areas	March-June	Pesticides, fungicides, pathogens, climate change, introduced species
Osmia proxima	Round-leaf orchid (Galearis rotundifolia) and Houstonia, Pentstemon, Rubus and Trifolium.	unknown? Mixed forest?	May-September
Perdita novaeangliae	Lyonia	Brushy areas with Lyonia shrubs, wet areas	Early summer	Loss of host plant
Ptilothrix bombiformis	Hibiscus specialist; also morning glory (Ipomoea)	Freshwater wetland edges with native Hibiscus growing as well as plantings of Hibiscus species in suburban and urban areas	June-August	Altering hydrology and wetland forage plants

Why It Matters

Native bees are among the most important pollinators in our ecosystems, yet many species remain poorly understood. Some have become uncommon because their preferred habitats have disappeared. Others rely on a single genus of flowering plant that is itself becoming less common.

By documenting bees on their host plants, we can help answer important questions:

• Which bee species are still present?
• When are they active?
• Which plants are they using?
• Where do healthy populations still exist?
• Which habitats deserve additional protection?

These observations contribute to a growing body of biodiversity knowledge that can inform conservation decisions throughout the Northeast.

How You Can Participate

1. Find one of the target plants while it is blooming.
2. Watch the flowers carefully—many specialist bees are tiny and easy to overlook.
3. Photograph any bees you observe from several angles if possible.
4. Upload your observations to iNaturalist.
5. Share this project with fellow gardeners, hikers, birders, photographers, botanists, and naturalists.

Together, we can build a clearer picture of the Northeast's native bee fauna while enjoying one of nature's most fascinating groups of insects.

Every observation counts. Every photograph has the potential to document something important. And perhaps your next visit to a patch of wildflowers will reveal a bee that few people have ever noticed.

Happy "inverting!" *Inverting is the joy of observing invertebrates - it is the new birding!

— Bernie Paquette
Vermont Entomology Academy

The 10-Minute Native Bee Survey Protocol*

*See the official NEAFWA forms further below.

To make everyone's observations comparable, I encourage volunteers to use the same survey method whenever possible. A standardized approach helps us better understand where these bees occur, when they are active, and which plants they rely on.

What You'll Need

• Camera or smartphone for photographs

• GPS-enabled phone (or GPS unit) to record survey coordinates

• Timer or phone

• Notebook (or note-taking app)

Before You Go

• Visiting known populations in your area
• Or check here for suggested site coordinates

• Learn to recognize the target plant before your visit.

• Review the bee species associated with that plant.

• Remember that you should photograph all bee visitors, even if they are not one of the target species.

Best Survey Conditions

• Between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

• Air temperature between 50°F and 110°F

• Little or no cloud cover

• Light winds (less than about 10 mph)

• No rain

Selecting a Survey Plot

• Choose a flowering patch approximately 3–10 feet across.

• Larger patches generally attract more bee activity.

• A patch containing mostly one plant species is ideal.

• If another flowering species is mixed in, simply note it.

• Record the GPS coordinates of your survey plot.

The 10-Minute Survey

1. Start a timer.

1. Observe the flowers continuously.

1. Photograph every bee—or possible bee—that visits the flowers.

1. If no insects visit during the first five minutes, move to another suitable patch and begin again.

1. If you observe any flower visitors during the first five minutes, continue observing for another five minutes, for a total survey time of 10 minutes.

Repeat as Time Allows
Upload Your Observations

• Date

• Start and end time

• Plant species

• GPS coordinates

• Location name

• Habitat (forest, meadow, roadside, wetland, garden, etc.)

• Weather conditions

• Approximate size of the flowering patch

Every Observation Matters. Choose one of the target host plants during its blooming period. Before heading out, check that your site is publicly accessible or that you have permission to visit. Sunny patches often produce the greatest bee activity. Don't worry about identifying bees in the field. Simply take the best photographs you can. If additional patches of the same plant are nearby, repeat the process. Record the coordinates for each separate survey. Even surveys that produce few or no bee observations are valuable because they help document when plants were blooming and when target bees were absent.

Upload all suitable photographs of bees and other flower visitors to iNaturalist.

Finding a target bee is exciting—but observations of common bees, flies, wasps, butterflies, beetles, and even surveys where no bees are observed all contribute valuable information. Together, these standardized 10-minute surveys can help scientists better understand the distribution, habitat requirements, and conservation needs of native bees across the Northeast.

Thank you for contributing to this community science effort. Your curiosity and observations can make a real difference for native bee conservation.

Official NEAFWA protocol and forms

Protocol for taking photos

Materials:

●  Camera or phone for taking photos

●  GPS or phone for taking coordinates of your plots

●  Timer or phone

●  Note pad for writing down coordinates and other notes
Protocol:

● You will need to locate one of the bee host plants in the correct blooming season. You can either find locations yourself using iNaturalist observations of the plant, or Christine can give you potential locations in your area.

○  The locations Christine has are based on habitat models for the bee species as well as the locations for the plant, so you may be more likely to find the bee there, but it’s your choice if you want to use locations you find yourself.

○  We recommend looking at the potential location coordinate on satellite imagery to see if it will be easily accessible, like on a road or trail. Also, be sure you are going to publicly accessible land or have permission to visit.

■ If you need help with this, just ask!

● Once you have your site selected we recommend going out during these conditions:

○  Between 50° F and 110° F

○  Minimal cloud cover

○  Low wind (<~10mph)

○  No precipitation

○  Good air quality (no smoke/haze mimicking clouds)

○  Between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm

■ You can use your judgement, bees can certainly be found during other conditions, but these are when you are most likely to find more

● Familiarize yourself with the plant beforehand, so you can easily find it. If you are having trouble identifying it, the Seek app is a great resource.

○ Also familiarize yourself with the associated bee species, just so you have an idea of what you are looking for. However, you should still take photos of as many flower visitors as possible, even if you don’t think they are the target.

●  If you can’t find the host plant within a reasonable distance of the coordinate, you can move on and go to a different location.

●  If you find the host plant and it is not blooming, you can move on to a different location. If you can note whether it seems like it has already bloomed or has yet to (ie, seeing buds) and you can come back at a later date.

● The patch of the blooming plant should be about 3-10 feet in one direction (length or width). If the patch is very small or only a few blooms, you can move on to a different site.

○ Ideally, the patch should be only of the one plant species, but if there is another species intermixed you can still sample, just note what the other species is.

● Select a patch of the plant that you can reasonably watch for bees. We recommend picking an area of the largest patch first if there are multiple patches. This is your plot. Note the coordinates of this point.

○ Picking a sunny area can also increase your chances of seeing bees!

●  Start a timer for 5 minutes. Note the start time. During these 5 minutes, try your best to take photos of as many bees visiting the flowers as possible. If you aren’t sure if something is a bee or not, still take a photo of it.

○  If after 5 minutes, no insects visit the area you are watching, you can move on to a different area and start the 5 minutes again.

○  If during the 5 minutes you do see insects, even if you don’t get pictures of them, continue for another 5 minutes (total of 10 minutes)

●  If there are more patches of the plant in the area you can repeat this process as many times as you like. Be sure to note the coordinates of each survey you do.

●  Upload any suitable photos of insects to iNaturalist

●  Email the iNaturalist links of observations of bees or suspected bees to
 christine.favorito@maryland.gov

○  No need to attach the individual photos

○  You can include multiple 10-minute surveys in the same email

○  In the body of the email, also provide for each survey:

Your name

Your state

The date

The plant species

The location (e.g. state park, local park, etc.)

The general habitat (forest, meadow, roadside or wetland)

Start time and end time of the survey

The coordinates

○  Please also attach the volunteer form

You can count travel and searching for the plant as volunteer hours

You can submit the volunteer form with hours even if you don’t have any photos to submit (aka you went out and didn’t find the plant or didn’t find
any insects)

You can include the time for multiple surveys and dates on one volunteer
 form

●  No need to email links or photos of other pollinators, but still feel free to put them on iNaturalist.


 Please also fill out the Volunteer form and return it to Christine,  Pollinator Conservation Coordinator, Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

• 
  
  

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  

More reference material

Plant	Common name	Bloom Time (VT)
Amorpha canescens	Leadplant	June-Aug
Apocynum	Dogbane or Indian hemp	Late June-Aug
Asclepias tuberosa	Orange milkweed	Late June-Aug
Asteraceae	Daisy Family	Varies widely; May–October
Baptisia	Wild Indigo	Late May–June
Baptisia tinctoria	Yellow wild indigo	June–July
Bidens	Spanish Needles, Beggar-ticks	July–October
C. pumila	Allegheny chinquapin, or dwarf chestnut	June
Castanea dentata	American chestnut	Late June–July
Ceanothus americanus	New Jersey Tea	Late June–July
Cercis L	Redbuds	Late April–May
Chrysopsis	Golden Asters	August–September
Cichorium intybus	Chicory	July–September
Erigeron L	Fleabane	May–July
Fagopyrum esculentum	Buckwheat	July–August
Galearis rotundifolia	Round-leaf orchid	Late May–June
Helianthus	Sunflowers	July–September
Hibiscus	Hibiscus	July–September
Houstonia	Flowering Bluets	Late April–June
Hydrangea	Hydrangea	July–September
Ilex	Holly	May–June
Lactuca pulchella	Showy Blue Lettuce	July–September
Lindernia	Lindernia	July–September
Lupinus L	Lupines	Late May–June
Lyonia	Staggerbushes	May–June
Lyonia ligustrina	Maleberry or he-huckleberry	June–July
Lysimachia	Loosestrifes	June–August
Lysimachia ciliata	Fringed loosestrife	July–August
M. fistulosa	Wild Bergamot or Bee Balm	July–August
Melilotus officinalis	Yellow sweet clover	June–September
Monarda	Bee balm	July–August
Nepeta cataria	Catnip	June–September
Parnassia caroliniana	Carolina grass-of-Parnassus	August–September
Parnassia glauca	Fen grass of Parnassus	August–September
Parthenocissus	Virginia Creeper	Late May–June
Pentstemon	Beardtongues	Late May–June
Pontedaria cordata	Pickerelweed	July–September
Rhus glabra	Smooth sumac	June–July
Ribes missouriense	Missouri gooseberry or wild gooseberry	Late April–May
Rubus	Brambles (blackberries, raspberries)	May–June
Rudbeckia hirta	Black-eyed Susan	July–September
Sericocarpus linifolius	Narrow-leaved white-topped-aster	August–September
Solidago spp	Goldenrods	Late July–September
Symphyotrichum	American Asters	August–October
Symphyotrichum Nees	American Asters	August–October
Trifolium	Clovers	May–September
Uvularia,  U. sessilifolia	Sessile Bellwort	May
Vaccinium angustifolium	Lowbush blueberry	May–June
Vaccinium L.	Blueberry, Cranberry, Bilberry, and Lingonberry.	April–June (species dependent)
Viola sagittata	Arrowleaf violet or arrowhead violet	May–June
Willow	Willow	April–May

Plant	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct
Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)	●	●
Black Willow (Salix nigra)	●	●
Heart-leaved Willow (Salix eriocephala)	●	●
Crack Willow (Salix fragilis)	●	●
Weeping Willow (Salix pendulina)	●	●
Meadow Willow (Salix petiolaris)	●	●
Sessile Bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia)	●	●
Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)	●	●	●
Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)	●	●	●
Azure Bluets (Houstonia caerulea)	●	●	●
Smooth Yellow Violet (Viola eriocarpa)	●	●	●
Labrador Violet (Viola labradorica)	●	●	●	●
Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)		●
Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)		●	●
Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)		●	●
Robin's Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus)		●	●
Starflower (Lysimachia borealis)		●	●
Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis)		●	●
Dwarf Red Blackberry (Rubus pubescens)		●	●
Large-flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)		●	●
Velvet-leaf Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides)		●	●
Long-spurred Violet (Viola rostrata)		●	●
False Indigo-bush (Amorpha fruticosa)		●	●	●
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)		●	●	●
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)		●	●	●
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)		●	●	●
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)		●	●	●
Bigleaf Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus)		●	●	●
Tufted Loosestrife (Lysimachia thyrsiflora)		●	●	●
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)		●	●	●
Allegheny Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)		●	●	●
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)		●	●	●	●
American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)		●	●	●
Canada White Violet (Viola canadensis)		●	●	●
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca)		●	●	●	●
Maleberry (Lyonia ligustrina)			●	●
Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)			●	●
Swamp Dewberry (Rubus hispidus)			●	●
Sandbar Willow (Salix interior)			●	●
Small Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos)			●	●
Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium)			●	●	●
Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)			●	●	●
Prairie Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)			●	●	●	●
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)			●	●	●
Whorled Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia)			●	●	●
Swamp Candles (Lysimachia terrestris)			●	●	●
Purple-flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus)			●	●	●
Eastern Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annuus)			●	●	●	●	●
Fringed Loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata)				●	●
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)				●	●
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)				●	●
Early Goldenrod (Solidago juncea)				●	●
Beck's Water-marigold (Bidens beckii)				●	●	●
Devil's Beggarticks (Bidens frondosa)				●	●	●	●
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)				●	●	●
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)				●	●	●
Canada Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis)				●	●	●	●
Fen Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia glauca)					●	●
White Goldenrod (Solidago bicolor)					●	●
Stout Goldenrod (Solidago squarrosa)					●	●
Bog Goldenrod (Solidago uliginosa)					●	●
Blue-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia)					●	●	●
Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)					●	●	●
Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)					●	●	●
Giant Goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)					●	●	●
Downy Goldenrod (Solidago puberula)					●	●	●
Rough-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)					●	●	●
Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)					●	●	●
Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)					●	●	●
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)					●	●	●
Swamp Aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum)					●	●	●