Bumble bee atlas field training near Creede with VOC
Learn to net, photograph, and release bumble bees for the Colorado Bumble Bee Atlas in a high-altitude meadow near Creede. Pre-event webinar required.
Why we picked this
Hands-on bumble bee monitoring at 8,000 feet near Creede — net bees, photograph them, record data, release them. Citizen science that directly tracks Colorado pollinator populations.
The Colorado Bumble Bee Atlas tracks pollinator populations across the state, and this field training gives volunteers the skills to contribute. The session covers safe netting technique — capturing a bee briefly, transferring it to a vial for identification and photography, then releasing it unharmed — along with how to complete data sheets for the Atlas database.
The location is Antelope Park near Creede, at roughly 8,000 feet elevation. Bring layers, sunscreen, water, and sturdy footwear for meadow terrain. A pre-event webinar and handbook review are required before attending; registration links both. Ages 18 and up.
This kind of community science work is how pollinator monitoring actually gets done across a state the size of Colorado. The data collected at sessions like this informs conservation decisions at the state level.