Hello lovely beeple! It’s Jenan checking in to give you all an Ask A Bumble Bee update!
First – We currently have 536 people signed up for AABB, and have received 314 surveys! Of the 536 registered, 84 people have submitted surveys. I’m so excited to have all this data already, and am so grateful to have such a hardworking group of scientists on my side! Sincerely, a HUGE thank you to everyone who’s gotten out to survey!!
Two spotted bumble bee worker (Bombus bimaculatus) on bracted spiderwort (Tradescantia bracteata). Image credit: Heather Holm
Second – We’re starting an AABB Blitz (AABBB) on July 16th (rain date = July 17th)! EVERYONE (!!!) should get out and do as many surveys as they can on this day! By the next evening, we’ll follow up with some quick broad summary statistics (e.g. how many surveys, how many participants, how many bees total, etc.). To be included in AABBB analysis, make sure you do some surveys and submit your data sheets on the 16th!
We’re also hoping to have some small groups go out and survey together as a part of the blitz! It’ll be a super fun way of meeting some fellow surveyors, and also a good opportunity to iron out any questions that may be holding you back from surveying. Sam and I will split up and each take a group in MD, and we hope some of you will form groups of your own in local parks, nature centers, etc.! Stay tuned for more details!
If anyone is interested in leading a survey group as part of the Blitz, please shoot me an email! 🙂
I’ll be out of town from tomorrow (June 24th) until July 13th, but a fellow bee lab member, Kalani, will be checking this email periodically to sign up new surveyors and try to answer basic questions. Otherwise, I’ll try my best to get back to everyone when I return!
Thanks again for participating, and let me know if you have any questions!
Jenan
Jenan El-Hifnawi
AABB Coordinator
