With two previously competed training sessions, participants were ready to photograph bees on this outing to Forest Park. After signing in we walked to the Albrecht Nature Playscape to photograph the many different varieties of bees there for the Shutterbee research project.
We were looking to capture specific features of bees to help biologists identify the species. We were also familiar with the phone app iNaturalist where we upload useable photos into the project’s online database. Biologists at several universities in the Midwest then identify the species of the bees for the project. Once fully trained, volunteers conduct about 20 photo surveys of their neighborhoods during the next 40 weeks. Each outing takes about 45 minutes of time.
Besides the training sessions, ShutterBee also hosts additional events throughout the year, including site visits, a bee ID camp, and end of the season celebration with the entire ShutterBee community. On November 12th, we will have our first ever Shutterbee Symposium, featuring talks by the research team and our citizen scientists. This month’s bulletin is full of activities. Here is the link: https://shutterbee.net/2022/09/07/september-2022-bulletin/
Shutterbee is collaboration among Webster University, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis Zoo, and the Missouri Botanical Garden, with additional support from the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Academy of Sciences, St. Louis and the Living Earth Collaborative.
The Shutterbee project can be found online on Instagram (@shutterbeebuzz), Twitter (@shutterbeez) and on Facebook (Shutterbee Community).
Those who are interested in volunteering should complete this survey to register and sign-up for a training session. For more information, you can contact Miller-Struttmann at shutterbee@webster.edu.
