There are nearly 3,000 bee species native to western North America, and over 1,600 of them reside in California—one of the most biodiverse regions in the world for bees. Native bees—as distinct from honey bees—are at risk of extinction due to climate change and habitat loss. They may be native to an area as small as a zip code or as large as an entire nation, though wherever they reside, they are integral to their surrounding ecosystems.

The number of species native to California dwarfs the variety to be found in whole countries, such as France or Argentina, and rivals the biodiversity of the entire continent of Australia. This natural abundance of bees makes the Golden State significant terrain for entomologists. And since bees are an indicator species—whose absence or decline in population are often a first signal of ecosystem collapse—the study of bees is significant terrain for environmentalists writ large.

In this session, National Geographic Explorer and bee expert Krystle Hickman profiles a handful of the species that underpin the ecologies of the Golden State, exploring the reciprocal connections between distinct species and native plant life, and how community science can support their conservation.