Community Science
You can play an important role in pollinator conservation just by documenting what you see...
Take photos and submit them to iNaturalist
- Submit your observations of bees to this project: Bees of San Diego County · iNaturalist
- Learn How to Make an Observation : iNaturalist Help
- Bee photography tips and tricks - CA Native Bee Society
Western Monarchs
- Help monarchs by documenting them:
- If you see a monarch, take a photo and submit it to iNaturalist: Have you seen me? Help monarchs in 3 easy steps.
- Join the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper iNaturalist Project
- Volunteer for the Western Monarch Count:
- Join a community-powered initiative to track overwintering western monarchs and their habitat along the California coast between October and January. The RCD of Greater San Diego County is the regional coordinator. Volunteer with us!
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Required virtual training for first-time volunteers: Wednesday, October 7th | 5:30-7:30pm
A link to the training will be emailed to registered new volunteers. -
In-person trainings (required for first-time volunteers):
- Saturday, September 26th | 9am - 12pm | Presidio Park (meet in Parking Lot)
- Saturday October 10th | 9am - 12pm | Presidio Park (meet in Parking Lot)
- Please register here.
Bumble bees
Bumble bees, like other pollinators, are facing population decline, and we need everyone's help documenting bumble bees wherever they're seen to know where they are and how many are seen. Five species of bumble bees are regularly found in San Diego County: the Yellow-faced Bumblebee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Sonoran Bumblebee (Bombus sonorus), Black-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus melanopygus), California Bumblebee (Bombus californicus), and Crotch's Bumblebee (Bombus crotchii).
Here's what you can do to help: take photos of bumble bees when you see them!
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Add photos to the Bumble bees of San Diego County project on iNaturalist.org hosted by the Nat.
- If you're not sure what you see is a bumblebee, you can still submit to the iNaturalist project, and reviewers on iNaturalist will identify your observation.
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Submit observations to Bumble Bee Watch:
- Bumble Bee Watch is a collaborative effort to track and conserve North America’s bumble bees. Everyone is invited to contribute to this important community science effort. Have fun while learning more about bumble bees and the vital role they play in our environment!
