Great Garden Speakers

Specialist Bees

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The monarch butterfly is probably the most famous insect specialist (the caterpillars feed only on milkweed), but did you know that many native bees are also specialists? Female native bee specialists or oligoleges, only collect pollen from a narrow range of native plants; this could mean just one plant genus or many genera that belong to one plant family. Heather will highlight many of these native plant-bee specializations as well as the overlapping habitat requirements of the bees and plants. The presentation will also include the threats to specialists such as habitat loss and climate change.

Heather Holm

About Heather Holm

I am a biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author. In addition to assisting with native bee research projects, I inform and educate audiences nationwide, through my books and many presentations, about the fascinating world of native pollinators and beneficial insects, and the native plant communities that support them. Much of my spare time is spent planning and executing ecological restoration projects, serving on the boards of nonprofits to promote conservation work, and spending a significant amount of time in the field to better understand the natural history and habitat of native bees and wasps, and the complexities of enhancing pollinator habitat using ecological restoration best management practices.