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About the St. Louis Bee Brigade/BeeSpotter Collaboration

The Bee Brigade is a collaboration among Webster University, Saint Louis University, The Academy of Science of St. Louis, and BeeSpotter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is a bee monitoring citizen science project where nature lovers, concerned citizens, and science enthusiasts are invited to help scientists monitor bee populations in the St. Louis area!

As part of this collaboration, these organizations coordinate a BeeBlitz in the St. Louis area. Read on to learn more!

St. Louis BeeBlitz 2019

On Saturday, June 22, we will wrap up National Pollinator Week with the third annual St. Louis BeeBlitz at Forest Park. All it takes is a camera, a patch of flowers, and you!

After a crash course in "bee photography", we will work in teams to conduct photo surveys. Your photographs will help biologists track bee populations around the nation through BeeSpotter, a web-based citizen science program hosted by the University of Illinois. Throughout the event, you will learn about bee biology and how you can support wild bee populations.

The St. Louis BeeBlitz is organized by the St. Louis Bee Brigade (a collaboration between Webster University, St. Louis University, BeeSpotter of the University of Illinois), Academy of Science of St. Louis, and Forest Park Forever.

Join us at the Forest Park Forever Visitor & Education Center

Registration is required, but the event is FREE and OPEN to anyone over the age of 10. Space is limited, so please register early. To register a group of more than 4 people, please contact Nicole Miller-Struttmann (email: nicolem42@webster.edu, office: 314-246-7628, or cell: 314-218-5307).

On Saturday, June 22, 2019 from 10:00AM-1:00PM, you can find us on the east side of the Forest Park Forever Visitor & Education Center. We will be walking to different locations throughout the park, so please arrive promptly at 10:00AM!

Preparing to BeeBlitz

While you're out helping to track bee demographics, it's also important to take care of yourself! Here are some things to remember while BeeBlitzing:

• Water
• Snacks (trail mix, granola/nut bar, etc.)
• Sunscreen
• Hat
• More water!
• Long pants
• Good walking shoes
• Bug spray
• Still more water!
• And of course: a camera or smartphone! (Note: if you're going to be in the field for an extended period of time, you might need a portable battery charger as well)

Other ways to get involved

You can help us spread the word about the BeeBlitz by distributing this BeeBlitz announcement flier to anyone you think might be interested!

If you can't join us for the St. Louis BeeBlitz, contribute to BeeSpotter anytime! Here's how you can get involved:

1. Create a BeeSpotter account
2. Add your bee spotting

That's it! Our experts will identify your bee and let you know when it's publicly visible on BeeSpotter!

Getting Started with BeeSpotter

• Are you new to the world of bee photography?
  Check out our guide to photographing bees.
• Interested in learning more about identifying bees?
  Check out our keys to bumble bees of Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and Indiana.
• Interested in learning more about honey and bumble bees in our region?
  Check out our bee biographies.
• Still want to learn more?
  Check out all of our other bee-related topics.

Bee Brigade News & Publicity

• St. Louis Public Radio: Accomplished Science Educator And Bee Expert Talks Trends, Myths Surrounding 6-Legged Friends
• Nicole Miller-Struttmann's Outreach

Questions?

For more information or inquiries, please contact Nicole Miller-Struttmann (email: nicolem42@webster.edu, office: 314-246-7628, or cell: 314-218-5307).