Suggested Reading
Print Sources:
Nicholls, A. A., Epstein, G. B., & Colla, S. R. (2020). Understanding public and stakeholder attitudes in pollinator conservation policy development. Environmental Science & Policy, 111, 27-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.05.011
The authors conducted a poll at a Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs convention for improving bee conservation regulations. They collected 972 comments by citizens on the regulation and analyzed the results to look for stakeholders. They mainly asked for each person's stance, concerns, and sources of information. Overall, they found that most people were against the use of toxic agrochemicals and overall didn’t have a good understanding of the diversity of bee species. This article was helpful in understanding the general public knowledge of bees, and the potential stakeholders in bee conservation. Additionally, the article provided valuable input on advocacy and the importance of knowledgeable policy making.
Potts, S. G., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V., Ngo, H. T., Aizen, M. A., Biesmeijer, J. C., Breeze, T. D., . . . Vanbergen, A. J. (2016). Safeguarding pollinators and their values to human well-being. Nature, 540(7632), 220-229. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20588
This article overviews the threats posed to bees, how those threats impact society, and what we can do about it. The authors focus a lot on the agricultural industry and, in turn, honey bees. This is a very in depth and informative article, and has been cited nearly 500 times. Most notably, this article discusses the different threats posed to bees, the potential responses, and the direct risks that might be posed to humans. Additionally, the use of graphs and figures makes the information easier to visualize, which in turn helps the reader better understand the need for bee conservation. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of the need for further research and of coordinated advocacy for more pollinator friendly spaces and policies.
Threlfall, C. G., Walker, K., Williams, N. S., Hahs, A. K., Mata, L., Stork, N., & Livesley, S. J. (2015). The conservation value of urban green space habitats for Australian native bee communities. Biological Conservation, 187, 240-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.05.003
This is a case study examining the impacts of three types of urban green spaces on bee populations in Australia. The authors studied golf courses, public parks, and front gardens and streetscapes in Melbourne, Australia and analyzed the diversity and population size of different bee species. They concluded that public parks were the best landscape for bees, but all green spaces were primarily inhabited by Honey Bees. Although this study was done in Australia rather than North America, the impact of having pollinator friendly green spaces is still shown. It also highlights ways to make green spaces better for native bees rather than just honey bees.
Wilson-Rich, N. (2014). Chapter 7: The Challenges Faced by Bees. In The Bee : A Natural History (pp. 187-214). Princeton University Press. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/umdcp/reader.action?docID=1689362&ppg=188.
This chapter outlines the various threats posed to bees, both native bees and honey bees. The textbook itself is about the history, use, and biology of bees overall, and was a helpful resource to get background knowledge on bees. In this chapter, the author talks about the natural and man-made causes of bee decline around the world, specifically going in depth about climate change, the agricultural industry, and bee pathogens and pests. Wilson-Rich also discusses ways that we can help combat bee decline and advocate for native bee conservation. The chapter helped a lot in deciding the stakeholders and what the reasons were for honey bee and native bee population decline.
Ted Talk:
This talk was given by Sam Droege, a Biologist and expert on pollinators and birds. He is an activist for pollinators, and has helped develop programs to identify and monitor native bees and plants. In his talk, he discusses how we can save bees by increasing plant biodiversity. He focuses on having individuals and companies plant natural lawns and landscapes. He urges people to work with parks and towns to have areas of natural wildlife specifically for native bees.
Rewilding Your Land: Blessing of the Bees [Video file]. (2017, June 2). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF3fWdwhEhw&ab_channel=TEDxTalks