Plant and Bee Identification Guides
For bumble bees
Bumble Bees of North America
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Bumble Bees of the Eastern United States
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Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Pocket ID
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For flowering plants
Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie
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Wildflowers of Iowa Woodlands
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Wildflowers of Iowa Wetlands
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Equipment List
1. Nets: Home Science Tools, or search the internet for "aerial insect net"
2. Vials: We like to use 50ml plastic vials, because they are light weight, small, and chill relatively quickly, making them ideal for survey trips. However, many items that are easily found around the house can work for this purpose, such as empty jars or containers, just make sure they are thoroughly washed.
3. Camera: The best type of camera for surveys are digital cameras that have a macro setting, and there are many to choose from! We like to use the Olympic TG-6 mainly because it has an amazing macro setting, GPS capabilities, and has immense durability for use in the field. Smartphones work well if your camera remains focused as you zoom, and if desired, you can easily enhance your smartphone photos by purchasing a macro lens attachment. These lens attachments are relatively easy to find on the internet, be sure it is a macro lens that fits your phone model.
4. Cooler:
5. Printouts of data sheets, field guides, and handbook
6. Copies of relevant permits: (see below)
2. Vials: We like to use 50ml plastic vials, because they are light weight, small, and chill relatively quickly, making them ideal for survey trips. However, many items that are easily found around the house can work for this purpose, such as empty jars or containers, just make sure they are thoroughly washed.
3. Camera: The best type of camera for surveys are digital cameras that have a macro setting, and there are many to choose from! We like to use the Olympic TG-6 mainly because it has an amazing macro setting, GPS capabilities, and has immense durability for use in the field. Smartphones work well if your camera remains focused as you zoom, and if desired, you can easily enhance your smartphone photos by purchasing a macro lens attachment. These lens attachments are relatively easy to find on the internet, be sure it is a macro lens that fits your phone model.
4. Cooler:
5. Printouts of data sheets, field guides, and handbook
6. Copies of relevant permits: (see below)
Permits
Navigation and Mapping Tools
Selecting Field Sites
We recommend using Xerces Google Map of Grid Iowa Cells to help locate survey areas within your selected grid cell.
Prior to starting your surveys, you must check to make your survey area does not fall within the high or low potential zones of the Rusty Patch Bumble Bee (marked in Red, Yellow, and Blue on the USFWS Map of Rusty Patched Bumble Bee High Potential Zones). It is not permissible to collect or handle rusty patched bumble bees within these zones without a permit. If you are planning to survey in Allamakee, Black Hawk, Benton, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Bremer, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Clinton Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Howard, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Marion, Mitchell, Polk, Scott, Story, Warren, Washington, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, or Worth Counties, please review the guidance published the US Fish and Wildlife Service before completing surveys.
Navigating to Field Sites
Navigating to remote field sites can be challenging! We recommend the following resources to help you find your way to your chosen survey locations.
Recording Locations
To record latitude and longitude when conducting a survey, ensure your smart device's location services are turned on, open Google Maps or other mapping service, zoom in as close as you can to your current location, and "drop a pin" by pressing and holding on the map. Coordinates of your location will then appear on the smart device, with an option to save or not. Coordinates need to be submitted as Decimal Degrees, but there are online conversion tools if your coordinates are in a different format.
We recommend using Xerces Google Map of Grid Iowa Cells to help locate survey areas within your selected grid cell.
Prior to starting your surveys, you must check to make your survey area does not fall within the high or low potential zones of the Rusty Patch Bumble Bee (marked in Red, Yellow, and Blue on the USFWS Map of Rusty Patched Bumble Bee High Potential Zones). It is not permissible to collect or handle rusty patched bumble bees within these zones without a permit. If you are planning to survey in Allamakee, Black Hawk, Benton, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Bremer, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Clinton Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Howard, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Marion, Mitchell, Polk, Scott, Story, Warren, Washington, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, or Worth Counties, please review the guidance published the US Fish and Wildlife Service before completing surveys.
Navigating to Field Sites
Navigating to remote field sites can be challenging! We recommend the following resources to help you find your way to your chosen survey locations.
- The Avenza Maps App is a useful tool for finding public access roads. This is especially helpful if you are surveying on US Forest Service property. This app will show you which roads are legal to drive on within the forest, you are free to walk anywhere. To find public access roads, download Motor Vehicle Use Map – “MVUM”. Please keep in mind that 4-wheel drive is needed for most USFS roads.
- The US Forest Service provides Forest Service Maps
Recording Locations
To record latitude and longitude when conducting a survey, ensure your smart device's location services are turned on, open Google Maps or other mapping service, zoom in as close as you can to your current location, and "drop a pin" by pressing and holding on the map. Coordinates of your location will then appear on the smart device, with an option to save or not. Coordinates need to be submitted as Decimal Degrees, but there are online conversion tools if your coordinates are in a different format.