Bumble Bees are in Danger of Extinction. Learn How You Can Join Butterfly Pavilion to Help!

Butterfly Pavilion Supports the Listing of American Bumble Bees Under the Endangered Species Act

Bumble bees are ambassadors for all pollinators, yet, unfortunately, their rapid decline has them on the road to extinction. Bumble bees play a critical role in sustaining healthy ecosystems, contributing to the survival of every living organism on this planet. Their role in pollination directly impacts the survival of many plant species that are necessary for our agricultural industry to produce food. The disappearance of bumble bees could cause devastating effects on the food industry, an essential contributor to our economy. Listing American bumble bees under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) could be this species’ last chance at survival.

Butterfly Pavilion supports listing the American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) as the third endangered bumble bee species under the ESA. This species was once one of the most common bumble bee species in the United States. However, the range of its habitat has shrunk, and the majority of states throughout the country have reported significant population declines. The combined consequences of habitat loss, fragmentation, harmful pesticide use, climate change, and diseases place the American bumble bee at risk for extinction.

To help protect bumble bees and other important pollinators, people can take sustainable actions that promote healthy ecosystems for these species to survive in. We can start by making changes at home with thoughtful landscaping of native flowering plants and reducing harmful pesticide use in our gardens. Community members can also get involved in projects through Butterfly Pavilion’s Pollinator Awareness through Conservation and Education (PACE) initiative. PACE is a global initiative aimed at protecting pollinators through restoration projects, community science programs, and collaboration with local honey producers.

Here are some of the PACE projects that you can get involved in:

Urban Prairies Project (UPP): The UPP improves the ecological health of urban and suburban open spaces in Broomfield and surrounding cities through the restoration of pollinator habitats. Getting involved in this project is easy, and volunteers can help with weeding, planting, and monitoring habitat. Contact us at volunteering@butterflies.org if you’re interested!

Butterfly Monitoring Network (CBMN): Butterflies are crucial pollinators, and their population numbers are indicators of ecosystem health. CBMN volunteers can gather data by simply observing and counting the numbers of butterflies in their local areas. Here’s how you can sign up to volunteer!

Local Hive Honey: Butterfly Pavilion produces honey from its own hive that is bottled by local honey producers and is available for purchase online or in our gift shop. Proceeds of these purchases go back to funding our PACE initiatives.

With help from our community, Butterfly Pavilion will continue to protect all pollinators and further spread awareness about the conservation of the American bumble bee. We can all do our part to help this important species for years to come and prevent their extinction by getting them listed under the ESA.