If you ever needed proof that bees were important, and that bee-related citizen science projects were hot right now, then look no further. Waitrose, a grocery chain the UK, and in association with The Crown Estate has recently backed a “bee app” by the Earthwatch Institute.
The app, called “Bee-friend Your Garden” wants you to record the insects that visit your garden to build an understanding of which plants are most attractive to these insects.
The app allows you to photograph and record details of the pollinating insects, plot these results to see which of your plants is the most popular, and most importantly, upload the data to a central database.
The app is available to iPhone and iPad users and to Android users as well.
The data will go to researchers at University of Sussex, specifically the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI).
Photo by Roberto Lopez on Unsplash
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