2026: Managing Ground-Nesting Bee Aggregations for Agriculture in North America (TNC)
This project unites community science, ecological research, and applied management to study, protect and enhance ground-nesting bee aggregations within agricultural landscapes. Researchers from Cornell and The Nature Conservancy will document robust nesting aggregations of ground nesting bees, identify the soil and landscape factors driving nesting success and develop evidence-based best management practices to sustain, restore and enhance these vital habitats on and around working farms. By integrating field data with geospatial modeling, they will build the first U.S. framework for incorporating ground-nesting bee conservation into agricultural planning. Ultimately, this project will connect pollinator habitat with on-farm decision-making, offering farmers practical, evidence-driven strategies to support native bees while strengthening the resilience and sustainability of agricultural systems.
Cornell: Bryan Danforth (Cornell CALS, Entomology)
TNC: Lesley Atwood (Agriculture and Climate Scientist)