Nature lovers and scientists warn of population declines among native bees and other pollinators

Barbara Williams zeros in on a patch of yellow wildflowers with her binoculars. She leans in slightly, her beetle earrings jangling, and proclaims “that’s definitive.” Williams has spotted the rusty patched bumblebee. Perched on the petals of the cup plant, the bee is identifiable based on its black and white stripes and the tawny patch on its second abdominal segment. “She is undoubtedly a she,” Williams remarks as the bee flies to a different flower. “The workers, the ones that do all the serious foraging, are females.” The 70-year-old amateur naturalist is relieved to have finally located t...