The Tucson Bee Collaborative is a partnership between the University of Arizona Insect Collection, Pima Community College Department of Biology, and the Conservation Education and Science Department at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Our location is why we exist. Southern Arizona contains more than 800 described bee species, with over 500 found in the Tucson Basin alone. The Sonoran Desert has been rated one of the most biodiverse deserts on Earth, and bees are no exception. The Sonoran Desert is estimated to harbor more bee species than anywhere else on the planet.
Our mission is to document the bees of the Sonoran Desert region, engage students in impactful research experiences, and educate the public about the fascinating natural history of our native bee species to promote their conservation.
- Documenting Biodiversity. Through an extensive biodiversity survey conducted over the last decade, we have grown the existing bee collection at the University of Arizona Insect Collection by nearly 30,000 bee specimens collected from Tucson. Each species gets photographed at high-resolution and is assigned a unique DNA barcode, building our capacity to identify and monitor bees in our region.
- Empowering Young Scientists. Pima Community College and University of Arizona undergraduates as well as local high school students help generate genetic identification tools through hands-on, course-based research.
- Promoting Awareness. We partner with students, teachers, and artists to foster an appreciation for native bees through collaborative exhibits and presentations at the Arizona Insect Festival, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Las Milpitas Community Farm, and several other community outreach events year-round.
