When visiting the Museum’s pollinator garden between September and November, you’ll likely notice a fluttering cloud of orange around the violet blooms of Conoclinium dissectum, commonly known as palm-leaf mistflower. Look a little closer, and you’ll see that among those orange wings are not only queen butterflies (Danaus gilippus), but occasionally well-traveled monarch butterflies (Danaus Plexpus) on their migratory journey….
Tag: pollinators
Bees, Barcodes, and Biodiversity
Desert Museum Volunteers Build Barcode Reference Library of Native Bees By Kim Franklin Eight years ago I launched a small study of the native bee diversity in Las Mipiltas de Cottonwood, a small urban farm in Tucson, Arizona. With the help of a few intrepid volunteers, we began sampling bees every two weeks with pan…
The Pollinator Party
National Pollinator Week, June 20-26, is a time to celebrate and BEE excited about the amazing work of pollinators! Join the festivities at our annual Party with Pollinators (Cool Summer Nights) evening this Saturday, June 25. We will have special pollinator themed activities and learning opportunities. Pollinator Week was developed to support pollinator health and…
Desert Museum Science: Knowledge from Nature for People
A Day in the Life of Desert Museum Science Buzz Hoffman, a retired entomologist and founding member of the Museum’s Bee Team volunteers, spends several hours each week staring down a microscope, looking at minute details of native bees to sort them by genus. Isabella, a senior at Sunnyside High School, picks up where Buzz…
Desert Diaries 