Source: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE submitted to NRP
NATIONAL NATIVE BEE MONITORING PLAN FOR THE U.S.
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1022401
Grant No.
2020-67014-31865
Cumulative Award Amt.
$388,846.00
Proposal No.
2019-06147
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2020
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2024
Grant Year
2020
Program Code
[A1113]- Pollinator Health: Research and Application
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
(N/A)
RIVERSIDE,CA 92521
Performing Department
Entomology
Non Technical Summary
Native bees are essential to crop and wild plant pollination, and thus the sustainability of our agricultural and natural ecosystems. At present, the U.S. does not have a system in place to rigorously and systematically monitor the status of wild, native bee populations. Such a system is necessary to detect and respond to bee declines quantitatively and rapidly. We propose to form a Research Coordination Network (RCN) focused on developing a national plan to monitor native bees. Across three years, the RCN will work together as a research community to create a set of national standards and practices for native bee monitoring, with an emphasis on the following objectives: (1) coordinate existing monitoring programs; (2) identify national priority areas for monitoring, (3) generate sets of standardized monitoring protocols; (4) create a training program to support the monitoring workforce; and (5) interface with the public and policy makers. The RCN will achieve these goals through a series of organizational activities, quarterly meetings, a major online presence, and a diverse educational program. Project products will include a U.S. National Native Bee Monitoring Plan that includes standardized protocols, an associated summary report for the public and policy makers, quarterly reports outlining consensus views on monitoring topics, and online lectures and other educational materials. This project advances the fundamental USDA goal of promoting food security by creating a necessary system for monitoring the status of native bees, our nation's most important native pollinators.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
0%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
21130851070100%
Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
3085 - Other bees (non-Apis bees) - All bees except Apis cerana; includes Bombas, Alfalfa leaf-cutter;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
The project has the following goals:(1) Coordinate existing monitoring programs the RCN will administer surveys to collect information about current/future monitoring projects, have meetings to discuss community-based issues and methods, create an online forum for communication among RCN members, among other activities.(2) Identify national priority areas for monitoring The data technician will work with project Co-PIs to identify hotspots for monitoring in the US.(3) Generate sets of standardized monitoring protocols RCN members will work together to develop standardized methods that will be canalized in the National Plan document.(4) Create a training program to support the monitoring workforce The RCN will support the Bee Course and its transition to including monitoring in its curriculum. Educational resources will also be made available online.(5) Interface with the public and policy makers The RCN will generate a summary report for policy makers and will seek out opportunities to work with community scientists to involve the public in bee monitoring efforts.
Project Methods
Aim 1:Consolidate bee specimen-level databases across the US and coordinate existing efforts for standardized data management practices A core component of a national native bee monitoring plan will be the use of standardized practices for data entry and management. We will use the Darwin Core standards. In Year 1, Danforth will work with the project Data Scientist to develop data management standards that meet Darwin Core standards.Another core component of national monitoring plan will be the use of a shared repository so that data can be easily accessed by RCN members and analyzed collectively. Specimen-level data from RCN collaborators will be consolidated in the Symbiota web portal (http://symbiota.org/docs/). Theprimary goal of the project Data Scientist will be to work with RCN members to facilitate uploading new data, in addition to developing standardized protocols for uploading existing bee survey data from individual crop or taxon-focused surveys.A data access plan will be developed in Year 1 (with maximum input from RCN participants) and made publicly available on the RCN website.We will actively recruit individuals already managing large-scale monitoring efforts to the RCN by contacting them directly to request their participation. Under the co-leadership of Jha and Smith, current large- scale monitoring efforts will be reviewed to understand goals and geographic scope and coordinated with other non-pollinator specific monitoring programs and institutions whose role it is to collect long-term datasets. The RCN will connect with active large- scale bee monitoring programs, including programs run by state and federal agencies and universities and will facilitate communication with the creation of an online database of existing monitoring programs, use of online meeting platforms for interested participants, and through an active discussion forum on the RCN website. We will encourage participation from additional programs by publicizing the benefits of engagement, such as networking with a large number of contributors, and greater connection with a diversity of stakeholders.Aim 2: Define priorities and scope of the US National Native Bee Monitoring Plan To strengthen connections between existing biological inventories and networks, leaders of ongoing monitoring efforts will be invited to participate in the development of the national plan at meetings held in association with the Entomological Society of America's (ESA) annual meeting. Prior to each meeting, there will be an open suggestion period where RCN participants can provide ideas for priority goals, monitoring sites, and protocols on the RCN website. At the meetings, there will be multiple rounds of consensus building where these items are discussed and voted on. PD Woodard, the Project Manager, and the Data Scientist will take a leading role in synthesizing the findings of these efforts into the formalized national plan for native bee monitoring, with RCN co-organizers also authoring significant portions of the document. This synthesis will form the core of the US National Native Bee Monitoring Plan document.The RCN will also use historic and contemporary data combined with maps and models to determine the current spatial extent of native bee inventory and monitoring. These data will be combined with spatially- explicit information about pollination service needs and deficits,available contextual data, existence of vulnerable and endangered bee and plant species, and unique, rare, or declining habitat types, in order to identify important geographic areas for monitoring.Under leadership of Irwin and Williams, the RCN will develop the spatial framework, with a focus on US regions where (1) pollination is most critical to US agriculture, (2) bee declines are suspected and may be obscured by data deficiency, and (3) there is greatest concern for loss of bee species biological diversity. The Data Scientist will also take a lead role in organizing these analyses, with substantial input from Williams, Irwin, and other RCN co-organizers.The RCN will develop a set of monitoring protocols and standards to ensure that robust datasets are collected, monitoring efforts are implemented, and priority areas are identified. These goals will be articulated in the US National Native Bee Monitoring Plan document under leadership of Cariveau and Droege. The Data Scientist will collaborate with Cariveau and Droege to collect, synthesize, and formalize standardized protocols, with additional input from the monitoring community (described above).Aim 3:Provide strategic training opportunities to develop and support the native bee monitoring workforce, with a focus on Extension and taxonomy We have established a project Extension Committee (directed by Isaacs) to connect the RCN to ongoing extension programming on wild bees and other pollinators.The committee will work to identify CE specialists and Master program volunteers who are monitoring native bees, or would like to, and will work with them to identify support tools (see below). One of the first aims of this Committee will be to administer a survey to Extension personnel to evaluate the capacity of surveyors in the state (of all kinds, including government employees, researchers, community scientists, Extension volunteer groups, etc.). We will also modify curriculum of the Bee Course to include a day focused on monitoring standards and practices.This effort will be led by Danforth, who will also work with thetechnician to develop online Bee Course-related materials to expand the number of bee researchers who can benefit from educational materials associated with the course. Lastly,the RCN will develop statements on best practices for two activities associated with the national monitoring plan: (1) bee collectingand (2) collaborating with taxonomists. These statements will be available on the website and incorporated into the US National Monitoring Plan.Aim 4:Generate national attention and active public participation in the national native bee monitoring program The RCN will capitalize on public interest in native bees by actively engaging the public in monitoring efforts, under the co-leadership of Woodard and Jepsen.The RCN will specifically promote use of two existing community science platforms: iNaturalist and Bumble Bee Watch.Project partners will assist in public engagement and communication to promote community science efforts and the value of the overall native bee monitoring strategy. Xerces will continue to provide online training and one-day short courses across the country to expand participation in community science efforts (such as Bumble Bee Watch, BBW) that can be integrated with the national native bee monitoring network.Training will be promoted through existing networks, including pollinator-related listservs, Bee City USA, USDA biologist networks, and RCN partner newsletters and networks.Aim 5:Translate RCN findings to advance relevant policy An explicit outcome of the RCN is to provide accessible summaries of results for non-scientist policy-makers, with recommendations for action.In addition to RCN participants, we will also seek participation of a team of policy experts to help in drafting these documents by contacting the Entomological Society of America's Science Policy Fellowship program, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and other, related programs. Documents produced by the policy working group will include annual reports that summarize progress of the RCN.The policy working group (led by Inouye and open to any RCN participants) will meet in break-out sessions during meetings. Inouye and the Project Manager will lead the effort to draft documents and they will be edited by all members of the working group. Products of this group will be openly available on the RCN website.

Progress 07/01/20 to 06/30/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience is the broader bee research, monitoring, and conservation community, including but not limited to the >800 RCN members from the non-profit sector, state and federal governments, academia, and other groups. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated to communities of interest through the RCN website, Youtube channel, and technical workshop summary reports. They will be further communicated in the special issue of Journal of Melittology and the article being submitted to PNAS (both mentioned above). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? (1) Coordinate existing monitoring programs: (2) Identify national priority areas for monitoring: (3) Generate sets of standardized monitoring protocols: (4) Create a training program to support the monitoring workforce: (5) Interface with the public and policy makers: This aim has been accomplished through the public-facing RCN website and there is a synthesis article that has been invited to be submitted to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which has broader readership from the scientific community.

Publications

  • Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Cariveau, D.P., D.W. Inouye, N.W. Williams, C. T. Burns, I. Lane, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocol for collecting plant-pollinator interaction data. Journal of Melittology x: xx.
  • Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Cariveau, D.P., D.W. Inouye, N.W. Williams, C. T. Burns, I. Lane, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocol for collecting plant-pollinator interaction data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Du Clos, B., K.C. Seltmann, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, E.M. Tucker, I. Lane, H.K. Levenson, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. The Wild Bee Data Standard. Journal of Melittology x: xx.
  • Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Cariveau, D.P., D.W. Inouye, N.W. Williams, C. T. Burns, I. Lane, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocol for collecting plant-pollinator interaction data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Du Clos, B., K.C. Seltmann, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, E.M. Tucker, I. Lane, H.K. Levenson, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. The Wild Bee Data Standard. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Levenson, H.K., O. Messinger Carril, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, G. LeBuhn, T. Griswold, N.M. Williams, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024a. Standardized protocol for collecting community-level bee data. Journal of Melittology x: xx.
  • Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Cariveau, D.P., D.W. Inouye, N.W. Williams, C. T. Burns, I. Lane, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocol for collecting plant-pollinator interaction data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Du Clos, B., K.C. Seltmann, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, E.M. Tucker, I. Lane, H.K. Levenson, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. The Wild Bee Data Standard. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Levenson, H.K., O. Messinger Carril, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, G. LeBuhn, T. Griswold, N.M. Williams, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024a. Standardized protocol for collecting community-level bee data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Levenson, H.K., B. Du Clos, T.A. Smith, S. Jepsen, J.G. Everett, N.M. Williams, & S.H. Woodard. 2024b. A call for standardization in wild bee data collection and curation. Journal of Melittology x: xx.
  • Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Cariveau, D.P., D.W. Inouye, N.W. Williams, C. T. Burns, I. Lane, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocol for collecting plant-pollinator interaction data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Du Clos, B., K.C. Seltmann, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, E.M. Tucker, I. Lane, H.K. Levenson, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. The Wild Bee Data Standard. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Levenson, H.K., O. Messinger Carril, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, G. LeBuhn, T. Griswold, N.M. Williams, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024a. Standardized protocol for collecting community-level bee data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Levenson, H.K., B. Du Clos, T.A. Smith, S. Jepsen, J.G. Everett, N.M. Williams, & S.H. Woodard. 2024b. A call for standardization in wild bee data collection and curation. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Lopez-Uribe, M.M., J.P. Strange, L. Whiteman, B.N. Danforth, S. Jha, M. Branstetter, J.B.U. Koch, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocols for collecting bee samples for genetic or genomic data. Journal of Melittology x: xx.
  • Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Cariveau, D.P., D.W. Inouye, N.W. Williams, C. T. Burns, I. Lane, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocol for collecting plant-pollinator interaction data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Du Clos, B., K.C. Seltmann, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, E.M. Tucker, I. Lane, H.K. Levenson, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. The Wild Bee Data Standard. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Levenson, H.K., O. Messinger Carril, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, G. LeBuhn, T. Griswold, N.M. Williams, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024a. Standardized protocol for collecting community-level bee data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Levenson, H.K., B. Du Clos, T.A. Smith, S. Jepsen, J.G. Everett, N.M. Williams, & S.H. Woodard. 2024b. A call for standardization in wild bee data collection and curation. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Lopez-Uribe, M.M., J.P. Strange, L. Whiteman, B.N. Danforth, S. Jha, M. Branstetter, J.B.U. Koch, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocols for collecting bee samples for genetic or genomic data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Otto, C.R.V., L.L. Bailey, T.A. Smith, E.C. Evans, I. Pearse, S. Killingsworth, B. Du Clos, S. Jepsen, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Estimating occupancy of focal bee species. Journal of Melittology x: xx.
  • Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Cariveau, D.P., D.W. Inouye, N.W. Williams, C. T. Burns, I. Lane, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocol for collecting plant-pollinator interaction data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Du Clos, B., K.C. Seltmann, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, E.M. Tucker, I. Lane, H.K. Levenson, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. The Wild Bee Data Standard. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Levenson, H.K., O. Messinger Carril, N.E. Turley, C. Maffei, G. LeBuhn, T. Griswold, N.M. Williams, K.L.J. Hung, R.E. Irwin, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024a. Standardized protocol for collecting community-level bee data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Levenson, H.K., B. Du Clos, T.A. Smith, S. Jepsen, J.G. Everett, N.M. Williams, & S.H. Woodard. 2024b. A call for standardization in wild bee data collection and curation. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Lopez-Uribe, M.M., J.P. Strange, L. Whiteman, B.N. Danforth, S. Jha, M. Branstetter, J.B.U. Koch, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocols for collecting bee samples for genetic or genomic data. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Otto, C.R.V., L.L. Bailey, T.A. Smith, E.C. Evans, I. Pearse, S. Killingsworth, B. Du Clos, S. Jepsen, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Estimating occupancy of focal bee species. Journal of Melittology x: xx. Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Strange, J.P., M.M. Lopez-Uribe, L. Whiteman, B.N. Danforth, S. Jha, H.K. Levenson, B. Du Clos, J.B.U. Koch, & S.H. Woodard. 2024. Standardized protocols for collecting bee samples for pathogen data. Journal of Melittology x: xx.


Progress 07/01/22 to 06/30/23

Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting period we continued to build our US National Native Bee Monitoring Network to more than 700 members from Federal and state governments, non-profits, academia, and other entities within the US and beyond. We held four workshops, each of which hosted approximately 100-120 participants. Each workshop featured ~10 speakers who presented on salient topics in bee monitoring and created opportunities for dialogue among attendees to discuss components of the US Wild Bee Monitoring Strategy. One workshop was held live at the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America with more than 50 attendees. Our website (nativebeemonitoring.org) was released and updated to include reports on workshops, a member directory, relevant articles, and other resources. Our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@nativebeemonitoringRCN) was updated to feature dozens of videos that collectively have been viewed more than 3000 times. The PI continued to serve as co-moderator of the beemonitoring listserv, which reachesthousands of members of the wild bee monitoring community. Changes/Problems:We have decided to hold a second (in-person) workshop on sampling methods in fall 2023 because we did not finalize protocols at our workshop in 2022. We also extended the life of the project through 2023. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have supported the participation of early career researchers in all of our workshops and invited a postdoctoral researcher from NCSU to co-organize our workshop onsampling methods. Additionally, our project has supported training through the Bee Course on bee identification and monitoring. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results are disseminated primarily through our website,nativebeemonitoring.org. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will hold our final workshop on sampling methods in fall 2023 and the PI will work in 2023 (with other RCN co-organizers) to complete the US National Wild Bee Monitoring Strategy document.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? (1) Coordinate existing monitoring programs:This aim has been advanced through the RCN workshops, four of which were held during the reporting period. Additionally the PI has continued to co-moderate the beemonitoring listserv which provides a means of communication for thousands of members of the bee monitoring community. (2) Identify national priority areas for monitoring:This goal was accomplished through a workshop held in 2023 and the summary is provided on thenativebeemonitoring.org website. (3) Generate sets of standardized monitoring protocols:This aim was partially accomplished in a workshop held in 2022 at the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America. We are currently planning a workshop in October 2023 to continue this work. (4) Create a training program to support the monitoring workforce:This aim was accomplished through support for the Bee Course, which included work to integrate a learning module on bee monitoring into the 2022 and 2023 Bee Course. (5) Interface with the public and policy makers:This aim will be accomplished in late 2023.

Publications

  • Type: Websites Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: N/A


Progress 07/01/21 to 06/30/22

Outputs
Target Audience:We held three project workshops during the reporting period. These included project workshop #2 on defining the conservation goals of monitoring, workshop #3 on Federal efforts to monitor native bees, and a mini-workshop on a new BLM-wide native bee monitoring protocol that is currently in development. The two larger workshops were attended by >150 participants and the smaller workshop was attended by 40 people. Participants are a mixture of representatives from the Federal and state governments, non-profits, academia, consulting firms, and other groups. During these workshops we receive feedback from participants on their own work monitoring native bees and this information is captured in technical reports that will be used as the basis of the resulting document entitled, US National Strategy for Native Bee Monitoring. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our workshops are open to anyone who is monitoring native bees or interested in doing so. Our technical reports are openly available on our website. The primary product of the project is a summary document that will be released at the end of the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to hold workshops and will develop the first draft of the national plan document.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? (1) We have built our participant list to > 500 people. We are currently building a website that will make this network more visible and serve as an information hub related to native bee monitoring projects. (2) We are currently developing a workshop for Fall 2022 that is built around this theme. We are also working with the trinational Committee for Environmental Cooperation to develop decision support tools for prioritizing places to monitor. (3) This will be the focus of workshops in Fall/Winter 2022/2023. We have held one mini workshop to review Olivia Messenger Carril's BLM-wide protocol. (4) PIs Woodard and Danforth have been working together to update the Bee Course curriculum to include a component on bee monitoring development and data management. This will be piloted in Summer 2022. (5) This will be the focus of workshop in 2023.

Publications


    Progress 07/01/20 to 06/30/21

    Outputs
    Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems:We have had to pivot to online workshops due to Covid, rather than holding in-person meetings. Overall this has been a highly effective way of meetings and has allowed broad participation. There have also been some general delays due to Covid but most aspects of the project are on track based on the proposed timeline. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other early-career researchers are heavily involved in the RCN project and attend the workshops. A symposium proposal is being planned for the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of Americain 2022 that is being co-organized by the PI and a postdoctoral researcher. Graduate students have led group discussions at workshops and received training in group discussion leadership. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The RCN group will continue to plan and hold workshops in 2022 and 2023. We hope to hold an in-person meeting in either year but this is contingent on Covid safety. We also plan to update our website in 2022 to better facilitate network-building and showcase the community of bee monitoring-related projects across the US. We also hope to implement our plans to update the Bee Course curriculum in 2022, also dependent on Covid safety.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? (1) The RCN project has successfully established a network of > 400 members who are monitoring (or plan to monitor) native bees in the US. The group is comprised of individuals from a number of Federal, state, nonprofit, academic, and other institutions. A working website has been developed (usnativebees.com), with plans to overhaul the website to add additional features in 2022. Thus far, we have held two workshops (with attendance of ~200 network members at each); one of these workshops was an introduction to the RCN and showcase of monitoring projects, and the second was focused on the conservation goals of monitoring. A third workshop (held in December 2022) is fully planned and will focus on Federal programs to monitor native bees and use bee monitoring data. (2) Identifying national priority areas is a focal topic for a workshop that is currently being planned for 2022. (3) Generating a set of standardized monitoring protocols is a set of focal topics for workshops that are currently being planned for 2022. We have also collected a set of ~12 large-scale monitoring protocols already being implemented across the US. (4) The Bee Course was not held in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid, but will be held in 2022 and will feature new curriculum around bee monitoring to help train the next generation of bee taxonomists. In April 2021 the RCN co-hosted a webinar (The Bee Short Course, a free webinar series) with the Ohio State University that was open to the public and focused on education around native bees. (5) Interfacing with the public and policy makers are foci of a set of workshops being planned for 2022 and 2023, respectively.

    Publications