In 2025, The Vermont Center for Ecostudies launched a new monitoring project to explore the ecology of wild bee populations on commercial farms. Now funded through 2028 by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and led by staff biologists Ryan Rebozo and Spencer Hardy, this project aims to uncover which bee species are supported by specific crops throughout the seasons, which non-crop plant species are being visited by bees, and if bees are exposed to pesticides.
Our Scope
With support from Laura Johnson at UVM Extension, we coordinated with farms around the state, focusing on apple, blueberry, soy, mixed vegetable, and livestock farms. This monitoring focuses on cavity nesting bees, a group of bees we hope to learn more about and have the potential to manage for, i.e attract them to farms by placing bee hotels around.
Ryan Rebozo installs a bee hotel. © Fiona MacLean
During the growing season, our technicians catalogued any bees that were pollinating out in the open near the crops by conducting Pollard Walks, a survey technique where observers slowly walk along mapped transects, recording all pollinators seen within a 5-by-5 meter box in front of them. This standardized approach helps ensure accurate and consistent data across different locations and times.
By the end of the project, we hope to have a clearer picture of the diversity and abundance of wild bees on Vermont farms—and how we can better support these vital pollinators.
