A regional program is recruiting volunteers to help save Nevada’s bumble bees. The Mountain State Bumble Bee Atlas aims to better understand and protect the region’s native bumble bees, several of which are in decline. This community science is open to anyone in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming to collaborate with local researchers and gather critical data on bumble bee distribution and habitat needs. Volunteers are trained to conduct catch-photograph-release surveys and submit data online.

“Bumble bees are beautiful and fascinating animals. They’re also really important pollinators. I love introducing people to them and sharing how we can all make a difference,” said Amy Dolan, a conservation biologist for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and coordinator of the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas.

Over half of North America’s roughly 50 bumble bee species can be found across the project’s four-state region. Nevada is home to at least 19 species, of which five are of conservation concern. All bumble bee species face a variety of threats, including habitat loss, disease, pesticide use, competition from commercial bees, extreme heat waves, and drought. To help populations recover, scientists need better information about where they are and the types of habitats they rely on.

2026 is the third year of the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas, and while over 200 volunteers have joined the effort in the first two years, Dolan said there is still much left to be done.

“The key to the Bumble Bee Atlas project’s success is volunteers,” Dolan said. “There is so much to learn and a lot of ground to cover; it would take me the rest of my life to survey for bumble bees across these four states.” Nevada is especially challenging for gathering bumble bee data since much of the land is remote, rugged, and difficult to access, with ever-changing weather conditions. Dolan says a large network of dedicated volunteers is needed to make the work possible.

Interested volunteers can learn more by visiting the project’s website at BumbleBeeAtlas.org. Training can be done using online resources or by attending an in-person event. Details and registration can be found on the Bumble Bee Atlas Events Page.

The Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas is run by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and funded by the Bureau of Land Management, with additional support from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The project will gather important data on at-risk bumble bee populations, helping land management agencies and conservation partners make informed decisions that improve the survival of these essential pollinators and promote healthy ecosystems overall. Additionally, the data will serve as an important baseline for measuring the success of future conservation efforts.

For more information about the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas project, please visit bumblebeeatlas.org/pages/mountain-states

For more information about bumble bee conservation, please visit xerces.org/bumblebees