Event: Catch and identify local bees on a bee walk

UBC Botanical Garden invites people to learn about B.C.’s native bees at a bee walk on May 19.

B.C. is the most biodiverse province in the country when it comes to bees, home to about 500 species. That’s more than the number of bird species in all of Canada. Native bees are what’s known as a keystone species, because they help hold together an ecosystem and food system. Some B.C. crops, including blueberries and tomatoes, rely on native bumblebees for something called buzz pollination, where the insects vibrate their flight muscles at a certain frequency, causing their wings to buzz which in turn releases pollen from plants.

But native bees are in decline due to a number of factors, including habitat loss and pesticide use. As part of the Garden’s annual Biodiversity Days event, Terrell Roulston, UBC Botanical Garden ecological sustainability specialist, and Dr. Matthew Mitchell, assistant professor in the faculty of forestry, will host a bee walk to highlight the importance of local pollinators.

Attendees will learn how to catch bees, calm them in a cooler, and then identify them with the Garden’s newly launched Bee Brochure. “We hope to create an interest in nature, and show people that you don’t need all this fancy equipment to be a scientist,” said Roulston. “Getting to know the species in your community is a great way to connect with nature and protect it.”

Media interested in attending should contact alex.walls@ubc.ca to register. Space is limited.

Event: Bee walk at UBC Botanical Garden

Date/Time: Sunday, May 19, 10-11.30 a.m.

Location: UBC Botanical Garden, 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver (map)

Parking: UBC Botanical Garden parking lot, 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver (map)

Interview opportunities: Terrell Roulston, Dr. Matthew Mitchell

Interview languages: English (Roulston, Mitchell)

Assignment editors: Please arrive at 10:45 a.m. to film b-roll. Interviews begin at 11:30 a.m.