This presentation explores the nesting habitat, life cycle, pollen collection, brood rearing, and general characteristics of common genera of native bees occurring in the Midwestern, Eastern United States, and southern Canada. The pollination of native plants and the mutualism between native plants and native bees is also highlighted. Heather also discusses the presentation of floral resources and how the physical characteristics of bees can influence the bees’ effectiveness as pollinators.
About Heather Holm
I am a a biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author. I passionately inform and educate audiences nationwide, through my writing and many presentations, about the fascinating world of native pollinators and beneficial insects, and the native plant communities that support them.
I am the author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022 respectively). My expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. My work has been featured in the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and many local publications. I am also an accomplished photographer and my pollinator photos are frequently featured in print and electronic publications.