The Bombus Among Us - Bumble Bee Basics with Heather Holm

Bumble bees (Bombus) are by far our most charismatic and recognizable native bees. In order to help our bumble bees thrive, we must understand their life cycle and nutritional needs. Heather will illustrate the bumble bee life cycle through the growing season; the importance of selecting the right native (woody and herbaceous) plants to meet the nutritional needs of the queens, workers, and males; their habitat; the impacts on populations from climate change; and common upper Midwestern and eastern bumble bee species. She will also feature species in decline including the federally endangered rusty patched bumble bee.

SPEAKER DETAILS:

Heather Holm is a biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author. In addition to assisting with native bee research projects, she informs and educates audiences nationwide, through her writing and many presentations, about the fascinating world of native pollinators and beneficial insects, and the native plant communities that support them.  Her first book, Pollinators of Native Plants, was published in 2014, and her second book, Bees, published in 2017, has won six book awards including the 2018 American Horticultural Society Book Award. Her latest book, Wasps, was published in February 2021. Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps occurring in the Upper Midwest and Northeast. Heather is a National Honorary Director of Wild Ones. She also serves on the board of the Friends of Cullen Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary, a 501(c)3 non-profit. In her spare time, Heather is an active community supporter, writing grants and coordinating neighborhood volunteer landscape restoration projects. Currently, she is working on three projects with volunteers, restoring approximately ten acres of city-owned park land in her neighborhood for pollinators and people. She lives in Minnesota with her husband.​

Learn More:

Bee and Pollinator Books by Heather Holm - pollinatorsnativeplants.com