The MJV is thrilled to announce that the University of Minnesota Bee Squad has joined the partnership! The Bee Squad is the education and outreach arm of the Bee Lab at the University of Minnesota. They engage with the public on problems that bees and other pollinators face, along with what can be done to support these insects - Bee Squad’s mission is to help people help bees! Their efforts have included work with youth, teachers, veterans, artists, and more.
The Bee Squad began by offering apiary programs, providing in-person and online education and support for beekeepers of all experience levels. While their focus has long been on bees, the Bee Squad has shifted their programs to emphasize all Minnesota native pollinators, including monarch butterflies. For example, their Pollinator Ambassadors program is designed to engage new audiences with training and outreach materials to learn about native pollinators and become empowered to teach others. The Bee Squad is developing Planting for Pollinators, an extensive online resource to help people as they garden for pollinators, pulling together many high-quality planting resources all in one place.
The Bee Squad is committed to uplifting the MJV partner network and being a voice for bees and other pollinators in Minnesota and across the U.S. We are excited for them to share the latest research coming out of the Bee Lab and to connect with partners who can help grow the Bee Squad’s online pollinator planting resource. To learn more about the Bee Squad, please visit https://beelab.umn.edu/bee-squad.
The Monarch Joint Venture is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and a national partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and academic programs working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. The content in this article does not necessarily reflect the positions of all Monarch Joint Venture partners. Photo courtesy of the Bee Squad.