2,000 app downloads and over 500 surveys have been submitted
In little over 3 weeks of the Blooms for Bees project being live we’ve exceeded 2,000 app downloads and over 500 surveys have been submitted using the mobile apps. The records that the project is receiving is already helping the team to see patterns in the bumblebee species being observed.
So far, the Common Carder Bee and Early Bumblebee are the two most frequently sighted species, but we have received records for scarce species too, such as the Bilberry Bumblebee.
The app is enabling the project to get high quality data from each survey including a photo and ID for the survey plant in addition to photos of the bumblebees that visit during the survey period. The app also provides key metadata automatically such as date, time and location – using the GPS sensor on the phone. Where possible the app takes the load off the recorder and makes taking part as easy as possible. With built in ID guides for the bumblebee species too, it’s easier than ever to get to grips with these typically tricky to ID species!
This project seems to be creating a real buzz (groan), and the data collected will be of great value to the scientists directly involved and in the future to others studying bees (the records are passed on to the NBN Atlas). Another triumph for Citizen Science!