In recent years, the popularity of solar power as a renewable energy source has skyrocketed. The benefits of installing solar panels on homes outweigh the disadvantages: energy bills are minimized, maintenance costs are low, technology is always improving, and as far as scientists can tell, the energy from the sun won’t run out for 5 billion years. That is 5 billion years worth of homes, neighborhoods, and cities powered with little to no adverse effect on the environment. Some areas even have started building solar farms, which are large scale solar installations that can be used to power an electric grid. Each “farm” is an area of land that contains raised solar panels, usually placed on top of “virgin soil”, commonly known as greenfield sites. According to Adam Beal, the executive vice president of development at TurningPoint Energy, many companies choose to lay down a pollinator seed mix underneath their solar panels. The seed mix (I have linked a Minnesota seed mix below this section) contains a variety of flowers that are known by scientists as pollinator-preferred flowers. The environment that developers can create under the panels is similar to meadowlands that have not been disturbed by industrial or housing development. The fences have small gaps for small animals, such as mice and snakes, to get inside the farm. Not only are these areas critical to biodiversity and create a vibrant environment under the panels, the flowers don’t grow more than six inches, so they are easy for cities to maintain.

How do we find what flowers pollinators prefer? That all comes down to researchers doing fieldwork. Every summer, scientists are out in the field studying pollinators and collecting data. The data then goes back to data analysts such as Dr. Clint Otto, a Research Ecologist for the US Geological Survey at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota. He analyzes data and meets with policy makers and public outreach officials to spread awareness about declining pollinator health and pollinator seed mixes. This information is useful to developers such as Adam Beal when creating a pollinator friendly environment.

One of the questions that I asked the experts that I interviewed was "What is the most interesting thing you have learned?" Here are some of their answers:

• It is something I think about everyday of course! I am quite lucky to be able to learn about this for a career. I am obviously immersed in this and think about what is next, what are the unknowns and how do we solve these mysteries. (Dr. Daniel Cariveau)

• I think the most interesting thing I have learned about is the monarch migration to Mexico. One single generation of monarchs flies all the way from the northern United States to central Mexico each fall. These monarchs are the great-grandchildren of the generation that would have migrated the previous year. It’s still a mystery how they find the same sites year after year to overwinter in. It’s really an amazing phenomenon! (Laura Lukens)

• One of my favorite fun facts is that while most bees are herbivores, there are at least three species of bee that eat meat! These bees are members of the stingless bee genus Trigona, and are commonly called “vulture bees”. They live in Panama and the northern half of South America, and harvest, store, and both eat and process carrion to make a product very similar to honey to feed their larva! I find this interesting because bees are herbivores that evolved from carnivorous, sand nesting wasps, so these scavenger, vulture bees represent a reversion to an ancestral dietary condition! (Alan Ritchie)

• I think I answered this question above. The most recent interesting thing we learned is that having a propolis envelope (inner lining of propolis within the nest cavity, surrounding the combs) helps promote the honey bee microbiome, both in their guts and on their cuticle (mouthparts). Bees don't eat propolis, yet the antimicrobial properties kill off pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria within the nest cavity, which in turns allow the "beneficial" or core microbiome species to flourish. (Dr. Marla Spivak)

• I think the most interesting thing I’ve learned throughout my time working with bees is that everything is connected. When I was in undergrad, I took every entomology class I could except those on IPM and pest management. I regret that I did that now because I see how pest management, wild bee ecology and diversity, and agriculture systems all influence each other. (Katherine Odanaka)

• I've seen bees building their nests upside down! They chose the open bottom of a vertical stem and stuck the pollen to the top of their nest cells and laid an egg under it and somehow it didn't collapse on the young as they developed. (Colleen Satyshur)

• Much of my work is still ongoing, so I do not have the final results yet. One trend that I am noticing is that different parts of the immune system seem to be operating pretty independently and the impacts of heavy metal or road salt pollution may have different effects depending on what part of the immune system I measure (the immune system is really complex). I have also found that when butterflies are exposed to low levels of pollutants, they seem to develop faster than individuals on a normal diet, but this is not the case when they are exposed to higher levels of pollutants. (Dr. Amanda Hund)

• I am constantly impressed and fascinated by how resilient honey bee colonies are. The social structure of the colony and the many mechanisms by which they can respond to stress are incredible. (Dr. Gabriela Quinlan)

• There are TONS of people out there that are just waiting to get involved with pollinator conservation. Many people know that the bees are in decline, but coming up with a solution seems daunting when we look at the big picture. Providing small, actionable steps for people to do each day is really powerful, like providing habitat in your yard, removing pesticides, or purchasing food from farms that use pollinator-friendly practices. People want to help, sometimes they/we just need a little direction when starting. (Katie Lamke)

• I’ve been amazed at how important flies can be for pollination, especially in grasslands and prairies. (Dr. Diane Larson)

• I worked on a project about how butterflies are attracted to salt, and whether all the salt we dump on the roads in the winter attracts the butterflies to the roads and what the consequences of that are. But the very interesting thing I learned in the course of that project is about how male butterflies provide "nuptial gifts" when they mate with females, which are packages of nutrients (including a lot of salt) that they transfer to the female when they mate. The females essentially have an extra digestive system in their reproductive tract to take advantage of these "nuptial gifts" (Dr. Tim Mitchell)

• Tough to choose, but I think one of my favorite bee facts has to do with buzz pollination (sonication) - bumble bees can control the frequency of their wing beats to change their "buzz" and this allows them to access pollen from different types of flowers. Some flowers need a very specific frequency to release pollen and so can only be pollinated by bumble bees that are able to "unlock" the flower by buzzing a certain way. Also endlessly amazed by the immense diversity of bee species and how many types of bees there are (ground nesting, stem nesting, cuckoo bees, social bees, etc). (Jackie Perkins)

• A lot of the nutrition that bees get from pollen and nectar that they collect is actually from the yeasts and other microbes that grow in the pollen, nectar mix. (Dr. Elaine Evans)

Another Question that I asked the experts that I interviewed was "What does your day-to-day schedule at work consist of?" Here are some of their answers.

• Dr. Daniel Cariveau - Assistant Professor (UMN, Department of Entomology): Dr. Cariveau studies native bee ecology and conservation. "It is really varied. As I am a professor, I work with students, postdoctoral researchers and other professors to develop and manage projects. This means I get to help out on a wide variety of projects. I really enjoy getting to collaborate with so many bright people. I don’t spend as much time as I used to working in the field. I do miss that. During the school year, I am teaching and preparing for teaching as well."

• Laura Lukens - National Monitoring Coordinator (Monarch Joint Venture): Laura works on roadside pollinator habitat, implements the monarch monitoring program, and studies the effects of conservation efforts on pollinators. "In the summer, I get to do some field work but the majority of my time is spent sitting at a desk! It’s not something I originally expected when beginning my work in the field of ecology. Some of my day-to-day duties include:

  • Reading and summarizing scientific papers

• Managing and supervising field crews, coordinating field studies across the U.S.

• Writing research protocols & methods

• Drafting program budgets, tracking expenses

• Advising on monarch and habitat monitoring projects

• Writing grant proposals and writing/submitting reports for grants we have been awarded

• Collaborating with other researchers and partners in monarch/pollinator conservation"

• Alan Ritchie - Pollinator Conservation Coordinator (Minnesota DNR): Alan is involved in many projects focused on pollinator conservation, such as prairie restoration. " I have a lot of independence with my day-to-day schedule and it varies somewhat week-to-week. It typically starts with answering emails and public inquiries sent from our DNR question hotline. I also try to dedicate a portion of my work week to reading recent scientific papers and news related to pollinators, habitat restoration or conservation, and relevant policy. Frequently the bulk of my work day is spent on special projects. This generally entails writing, meetings, or working with data, but the topics and groups I work with vary. For example, in one recent project I helped pick which plant species to include in a pollinator-supporting native plant seed packet that will be given away free- of-charge at the Minnesota State Fair. In another project, I used historic plant community survey data to map potential collection areas for plant seed DNR staff would like to harvest and plant for rare or at-risk pollinators."

• Dr. Marla Spivak - Professor (UMN, Department of Entomology): Dr. Spivak does a lot of work with honeybee breeding and health. "Every day is different, and always busy. In the summer I am doing a lot of field work/research with honey bees, especially on our bee breeding program, and helping grad students with their experiments. In the academic year I am teaching, going to conferences, writing grants, and helping students. I spend a lot of time on admin stuff for the department, college, University... "

• Katherine Odanaka - PhD Candidate (Rehan Bee Lab, York University): Katherine studies bee taxonomy and the effects of restoration on bee communities. "Currently, since I’m more focused on taxonomy and lab work, I ID insects and databases all day. If it’s a day that I have to do lab work, I usually spend the day pulling legs off specimens to be sent for DNA barcoding."

• Colleen Satyshur - Research Scientist (UMN, Bee Lab): Colleen studies stem and wood-nesting bees. "It's a bit up in the air right now. I'm working two part time bee jobs because a grant fell through because of COVID. I spend a decent amount of time on the computer at home. I communicate with volunteers taking bee surveys using a free smartphone app in Wisconsin and help spread the word and encourage participation and answer questions or fix problems. I look at data trends and compile basic results. I give training online. I'm also trying to write up a previous project for publication-lots of editing. And I'm spending some time setting up bee nest houses at peoples houses around the twin cities, which means lots of driving and emails and texts to coordinate."

• Dr. Amanda Hund - Postdoc (UMN, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior): Dr. Hund is currently studying how heavy metal pollutants influence butterfly immune systems. "This really depends on the time of year. In the summer, when I am actively doing experiments, I am spending a lot of time outside or in the greenhouse or working with insects housed in special research climate chambers. I often have several students helping me with this work and most days are pretty busy with caring for the animals and collecting data. During the rest of the year, I am working more in the lab and on my computer (sometimes in the office and sometimes at home. In the lab I am doing molecular work, processing samples, doing dissects on frozen insects to collect data, and running assays. Depending on the stage of the project, I am often spending a lot of time on my computer. This includes doing analysis and writing up what I have found so I can publish it in a scientific journal. Other times I am writing grant applications so that I can fund the next project."

• Dr. Gabriela Quinlan - Postdoc (Penn State Center for Pollinator Research): Dr. Quinlan is analyzing how the landscape impacts honey bee colony health to inform conservation practices. "My schedule really varies with the seasons and week-to-week. That is, more than having a regular schedule, I juggle different projects. During the summer I am usually in the field around 8am. Depending on what work I have for the day (hive inspections, pollen collections, vegetation transects, etc.) I could be out until 5pm. If I have a light day of field work, I will go back to my office and answer emails, analyze data, write manuscripts, review papers, make edits, etc.. Other times of the year I’ll be in the lab analyzing samples I collected from the field, working with undergraduate students and graduate students, reading the literature, writing grants, writing papers, etc. I also do outreach with local beekeeper clubs, give presentations at conferences and to undergraduates. So, I spend some time putting together those presentations."

• Katie Lamke - Endangered Species Conservation Biologist (Xerces Society): Katie works on bumblebee conservation initiatives in the midwest and helps engage people in community science projects. "I coordinate two statewide community science projects, the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas and the Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas (there is one in Minnesota too!). These projects involve anyone from the state to help track and conserve bumble bees. Each person that signs up to volunteer receives training on bumble bee ecology, biology, conservation status, and how to conduct bumble bee surveys (swinging nets, identifying bumble bees, photographing bumble bees). The data the volunteers bring back allows us at Xerces to have a better understanding of bumble bee populations, species diversity, habitat associations and floral associations, which are then used to improve the ways we protect and support pollinators."

• Dr. Diane Larson - Adjunct Professor (UMN, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior): Dr. Larson studies plant/pollinator communities and invasive species. "Most of my office time is spent analyzing data and writing reports/manuscripts. Administrative duties (like supervision of my team, keeping up with required training) also occupy some of my time each day. During the field season, I may spend several weeks in the field, depending on the project."

• Dr. Tim Mitchell - Research Associate (UMN, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior): Dr. Mitchell is currently conducting a research project that evaluates how pollinators use and are impacted by roadside wildflower plantings. "Many days I spend doing field studies or experiments (for example surveying plants and insects along road ditches), and other days I am writing/analyzing data, etc."

• Jackie Perkins - Lab Manager and Research Technician (Michigan State University, Department of Entomology): Jackie is involved on several projects relating to bee health and agricultural pollination. "My work days are always different! But a typical day in the "field season" (April-September) consists of driving to farms around the state to count or identify flowers, count and identify bees visiting those flowers, meet with growers, collect data and samples for the lab, etc. I spend the winter months analyzing data, writing research papers and reports, as well as writing grant proposals to bring in more research funding."

• Dr. Elaine Evans - Extension Professor (UMN, Bee Lab): Dr. Evans studies bee diversity and conservation. She also does lots of public outreach/education. "It varies a lot over the season. In the summer, I coordinate surveys, sometimes spend days outside observing bees and flowers, a fair amount of time driving between field sites, also lots of answering e-mails, and meeting with others to coordinate work on conservation projects. In the winter I get more time for writing and analyzing data. Once the data is collected there is a lot of time spent organizing the data and summarizing it to see what we can learn."