Pinery Provincial Park BumbleBeeWatch.org Citizen Science Survey

Pinery Provincial Park BumbleBeeWatch.org
Citizen Science Survey Program 2015
Final Report
C. Clarke
By. V. MacPhail and S. Ferguson, Wildlife Preservation Canada
December, 2015
This program was made possible by grants from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, the W.
Garfield Weston Foundation, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Species at Risk
Stewardship Fund and Environment Canada’s Science Horizons Program.
Pinery BumbleBeeWatch.org Survey Program 2015 Final Report - Page 2
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 2
Volunteer Recruitment and Training ....................................................................................................... 2
The Surveys ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Results to Date.................................................................................................................................................. 5
Further Impacts – More than just Bumble Bee Observations ........................................................ 6
Next Steps .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
A Final Reflection on the Pinery Survey Program in 2015 ............................................................. 8
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Introduction
The BumbleBeeWatch.org Citizen Science Survey Program was launched by Wildlife
Preservation Canada, in partnership with Ontario Parks, in 2015 at Pinery Provincial Park.
The goals of this pilot were to launch the citizen science survey program, to increase
awareness of bumble bees amongst members of the public, and to find rare bumble bee
species. It is hoped that the federally and provincially endangered Rusty-patched (Bombus
affinis) and federally endangered* Gypsy Cuckoo (Bombus bohemicus) bumble bees would be
amongst those found. (*This latter species is considered to be endangered in Ontario by
COSSARO but has not yet been listed formally as endangered by the provincial government).
The Pinery was the last place in Canada that the Rusty-patched bumble bee was observed
(2009), and the last place in Ontario that the Gypsy Cuckoo bumble bee was seen (2008), but
there is hope that there may still be colonies nesting and/or foraging in the Park. However, as
is the case for many species, the frequency and duration of survey visits by professionals are
limited by various factors, so the search effort has not been as high as may be required to find
these rare species. This is where citizen scientists can play an important role.
The BumbleBeeWatch.org website was first launched in spring 2014. It allows users to
submit photographs of any North American bumble bee observations, which are linked to a
specific time and location, and are then identified by regional experts. The website has
already received over 8000 records, including new records of rare species: over 40 have been
of the Rusty-patched bumble bee from the United States, where it is also in decline.
V. MacPhail
Rare bumble bees
seen at the Pinery.
Above: Gypsy
Cuckoo bumble bee
Below: Rustypatched bumble bee
C. Stewart
The Pinery Provincial Park survey program is designed to use trained volunteers and the
BumbleBeeWatch.org website to essentially have eyes out at the Pinery surveying every week
throughout the summer. Armed with insect nets, cameras, data sheets and safety vests, the committed
citizen scientists are assigned a group of pre-determined survey sites, within a variety of habitats, where
they spent time searching for and taking pictures of bumble bees at each site. Once they have completed
their surveys they upload their pictures and findings to BumbleBeeWatch.org and assign a tentative
identification based on an interactive key. Regional experts will then verify the species found.
Volunteer Recruitment and Training
Volunteers were recruited through several methods, including social media (Twitter, Facebook),
newsletters, e-mails, posters, and a CBC-Windsor radio program. Members of naturalist clubs within a
few hours drive of the Pinery, and members of the Friends of the Pinery group were also targeted.
Pinery BumbleBeeWatch.org Survey Program 2015 Final Report - Page 3
Example poster
used to recruit
volunteers.
A training session was held at the Pinery on March 28, 2015 to outline the
program and its goals. Roughly 45 people attended this workshop eager to
learn about the program. It taught volunteers what to look for and how to
properly record their bumble bee sightings. Volunteers were given the
opportunity to sign up for weeks throughout the summer that they were
available to survey bumble bees throughout the park, and were generally paired
with another volunteer to do the surveys.
A separate targeted hands-on BumbleBeeWatch.org training workshop was
held at Pinery Provincial Park on June 6, 2015. Participants were introduced to
the protocol and instructed on how to observe, photograph, collect, and identify
bumble bees.
V. MacPhail
Volunteers attended a lecturestyle (above) and/or a hands-on
(below) training session at the
Pinery before beginning surveys.
Why did volunteers sign up? A general interest and love of nature, and the desire
to take on concrete actions to help species in need.
“I’m curious about nearly everything and interested in helping prevent extinction
of species” - Janet
“I have an interest in preserving nature, and enjoy being outdoors.” - Sheila
“We wanted to learn more about bumblebees and we knew that Pinery Park is a
nice place to visit.” - Bruce
V. MacPhail
“I have a strong interest in pollinators, and in particular bumblebees, and have
been previously participating in Bumblebee Watch. I was excited to sign up.” - Eric
The Surveys
The Pinery was split into 3 site sets*, each set containing 5 individual survey sites and encompassing a
number of different habitats. (*Sensitive regions of the park and campground areas were excluded from
the volunteer survey area but were surveyed by staff.) Each week 3 pairs of volunteers participated in
the surveys, with each pair of volunteers assigned a different site set to survey. These formal weekly
surveys occurred by volunteers from June 15 – September 20, 2015.
Pinery BumbleBeeWatch.org Survey Program 2015 Final Report - Page 4
Map of Pinery Provincial
Park with the survey sites
marked in black bubbles.
Volunteers were given special free access to the Pinery on their survey dates. Upon arrival the
volunteers accessed a storage bench that contained all of the necessary materials to conduct the surveys,
with the exception of their personal camera(s). They then headed out to walk the trails, roadsides, and
parking lots within their sites that may prove to have bumble bees foraging on flowers. As much of the
Pinery is forested, there were few flowers blooming in the deeper shade of the woods, but patches of
flowers were found. More open sites, such as along the beaches and roadways, had more blooms.
“I loved this program, thanks so much for putting it together. I had a great time, and learned a lot. We
mostly found the common species, but this was great practice - both with photographing and identifying.
I was skeptical about including some of the deeper forest trails, but we did actually find some things,
and good to have variety in the habitat. Meant potential variety for bee species and just nice hikes. “
- Eric
Volunteers attempted to photograph any bumble bees seen either directly on the flowers or after
catching them and putting them in a clear vial. Information such as time and plant and bee species (if
known) was recorded on the data sheet, and the bee released (if applicable). Once the volunteers
completed their surveys they returned the equipment to the storage bench, submitted their photos to
BumbleBeeWatch.org and mailed their completed data sheets to the Wildlife Preservation Canada head
office in Guelph.
Pinery BumbleBeeWatch.org Survey Program 2015 Final Report - Page 5
3.
1.
2.
V. MacPhail
V. MacPhail
V. MacPhail
4.
5.
Clockwise, from top left:
1. Looking at materials inside the
storage bench at the Pinery.
2. Common Eastern bumble bee on
a purple azure aster.
3, 4. Volunteers enjoying
themselves while out surveying.
5. Photographing a bumble bee
inside a vial is one technique to use
rather than photographing it on a
flower.
S. Litterick
S. Litterick
Results to Date
In total 37 volunteers of all ages participated in the surveys throughout the 98 days the
program ran during the summer. Photos are still being submitted to
BumbleBeeWatch.org and data sheets are still being returned, but as of late-November,
we have received 487 bumble bee observations through the BumbleBeeWatch.org
website, physical data sheets, or e-mail reports. Combined, volunteers spent
approximately 85 hours taking part in surveys throughout the Pinery.
In part due to the sheer volume of sightings that were submitted on
BumbleBeeWatch.org from across North America, and due to website technical
difficulties and other factors, there has been a delay with experts confirming the
identification of bumble bees. While no Rusty-patched or Gypsy Cuckoo bumble bees
have been found and photographed to date, five other species were: the Common
Eastern, Brown-belted, Two-spotted, Half-black, and Lemon Cuckoo bumble bees (B.
impatiens, B. griseocollis, B. bimaculatus, B. vagans, and B. citrinus, respectively).
Wildlife Preservation Canada staff also surveyed the Pinery in 2015. As a comparison
though, volunteers were able to cover more territory, find about 2.5x more bees, and
spend about 6x more time doing surveys than staff: interestingly, the Lemon Cuckoo
bumble bee was only found by volunteers this summer.
B. Bax
Volunteers tried to
identify bees in the field,
but all photos are verified
by experts.
Pinery BumbleBeeWatch.org Survey Program 2015 Final Report - Page 6
While the data is still being received and verified, this work has already yielded numerous records of
several bumble bee species on different plants, and will prove to be of value for restoration efforts at the
Park. An addendum to this final report will be completed in early 2016. It will include a breakdown of
numbers of individuals per species, species found per site, and their distribution over the summer.
Further Impacts – More than just Bumble Bee Observations
Although no rare species have been found through year one of this program, the effects that this program
has had on the volunteers, and the members of the public that they have interacted with while doing the
surveys, has great value. It has raised awareness and created more enthusiasm and “caring” for
pollinators in general and bumble bees in particular. Volunteers have expressed interest about giving
presentations to their naturalist groups and even their workplaces. Many are submitting additional
bumble bee photos: one surveyor has submitted over 100 photos!
“We enjoyed walking through the Pinery park, looking for details we'd normally ignore. We had no idea
there were so many species of bumblebees!” – Duncan & Pat
Park visitors were often curious about the activities of the surveyors. The opportunity was then created
to educate them not only about the bumble bee survey program and the declining species potentially in
the park, but also about the importance of pollinators and what could be done to help them. Hundreds of
pamphlets and postcards were given out by staff and volunteers, and through the park Visitor Centre.
We hope that this will result in additional bumble bee records being submitted to BumbleBeeWatch.org
from other sites in North America and more habitat being created for bumble bees as well.
“Danika and I have enjoyed our [first] survey week. Everyone was so interested in what we were doing
and the staff at the Pinery were great.” - Brooke
“The surveys were fun. On one trail, people were so interested that after they talked to us, they wrote
“BEE” in the sand with an arrow pointing to where they’d seen one, for us to find when we returned.
We saw the sign—and the bee.” - Janet
Word was also spread through social media (Twitter and Facebook) by staff and volunteers. Details
were also shared through Wildlife Preservation Canada’s website.
Pinery BumbleBeeWatch.org Survey Program 2015 Final Report - Page 7
Several blogs about the program were written by staff and volunteers, including:
 Bumblebee: Medium Rare
(http://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog2014/bumblebee-medium-rare/)
 The Great Bumble Bee Search (http://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog2014/thegreat-bumble-bee-search/)
 A New Hobby: Bumble Bee Watching
(http://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog2014/a-new-hobby-bumble-bee-watching/)
 The Ups and Downs of Bumble bee surveys from a volunteer's perspective
(http://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog2014/the-ups-and-downs-of-bumble-beesurveys-from-a-volunteers-perspective/)
 BumbleBeeWatch.org Volunteer Training Workshop at the Pinery Provincial
Park (http://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog2014/bumblebeewatch-org-volunteertraining-workshop-at-the-pinery-provincial-park-3/)
 Canada's Most Wanted (http://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog2014/canadasmost-wanted/)
N. Murdoch
Pat wrote one of the blogs
about her experiences in the
park surveying with Duncan.
Next Steps
As mentioned above, Wildlife Preservation Canada and experts with BumbleBeeWatch.org are currently
confirming the species identification from the sightings submitted online. Once the species have been
correctly identified, the data can then be analyzed for patterns such as where and in what type of habitat
certain species were observed.
Once the surveys had ended a feedback survey was sent to all volunteers to gather their thoughts on the
program and what could be done to improve it. A meeting was also held with Ontario Parks to reflect
on the program. These two avenues provided very valuable feedback that will most definitely be of
assistance going forwards. The most common problems related to the BumbleBeeWatch.org website,
and it is hoped that updates over the next few months will help to remedy or alleviate many of the
issues.
Pinery BumbleBeeWatch.org Survey Program 2015 Final Report - Page 8
A smart-phone app is in development to also make BumbleBeeWatch.org even easier to use, with the
ability to take photos and upload them to the website immediately. A beta version has been created for
iOS (Apple) phones and another for Android phones is forthcoming. Once these have been tested and
any necessary fixes made, they will be released for public download. We envision this will greatly
increase the number of observations received.
Looking forward, Wildlife Preservation Canada and Ontario Parks are planning to run the program at the
Pinery again in 2016. Most of our volunteers have already expressed their desire to return and we will
recruit additional volunteers to help as well.
“I really liked meeting new people, and getting outdoors for a purpose.” - Ann
“I loved this program. Pinery is such an amazing and diverse park. It was amazing to be out in the fresh
air and sunshine doing something worthwhile. I have enjoyed the surveying very much and find myself
drawn to other places to look for bees. I even managed to get over my lifelong fear of bees and insects in
general. I met some amazing people too. Thanks for this amazing opportunity!” – Sarah
A Final Reflection on the Pinery Survey Program in 2015
“Our pilot of the BumbleBeeWatch.org citizen science survey program at Pinery Provincial Park
was a huge success. We had an overwhelming response from members of the public who were
interested in participating -- more people than we could even use this year! The beauty of the
BumbleBeeWatch.org program is that volunteers don't need to have any experience in bee
identification -- all they need is a camera, an internet connection, and a passion for nature. And a
passion they had!
Our volunteers really enjoyed the opportunity to get out into the Park to hunt for bumble bees,
and that enthusiasm spilled over to their lives in general, with many taking photographs of
bumble bees in other areas for the BumbleBeeWatch.org website and planting flowers for the
bees to feed on in their home gardens too. Their efforts also helped our understanding of bees in
the Park: volunteers spent more survey time in the Park, covered a much greater area, recorded
more than 2 ½ times more observations, and found one more bumble bee species than our own
researchers did in 2015. This shows the value and the power of citizen scientists!
Word is spreading about our pilot and we already have other groups, parks, and land trusts
asking if they can run a similar program in their areas. The potential for educating the public and
learning about bumble bees in Ontario and beyond is unlimited!”
- Victoria MacPhail, Pollinators at Risk Program Biologist, Wildlife Preservation Canada
Acknowledgements
This program was made possible by grants from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, the W.
Garfield Weston Foundation, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Species at Risk
Stewardship Fund and Environment Canada’s Science Horizons Program. Coordination of the program
was conducted by Wildlife Preservation Canada’s National Pollinators at Risk Program with support
from staff at Pinery Provincial Park and Ontario Parks. A special thank-you is extended to all the
volunteers who participated in this program and to the verifiers on BumbleBeeWatch.org.