The first hints of spring bring the promise of warmer days with wildflowers and their pollinating co-workers. Here in Alberta, some of the first pollinators to emerge for the year are the charismatic, fuzzy bumble bees that many of us love so dearly. Their cheerful buzzing goes hand-in-hand with the bright green of new leaves and the promise of garden tomatoes soon to come.

Insects like bumble bees are at the heart of a functioning environment, enabling many of the processes that keep an ecosystem healthy. Pollination is essential for the growth of flowering plants that provide countless services, like feeding us, maintaining biodiversity, and producing the oxygen we breathe. Without bumble bees and their specific methods of pollination, many plants would be hard-pressed to produce fruits and seeds, a critical part of the food web that supports nature and keeps blueberries, cherries, and more on our plates.

Research indicates that, faced with a growing number of obstacles to their well-being, bumble bees are in a state of global decline. Southern Alberta is no exception to this decline. Fewer bumble bees are being observed here, and conservation initiatives are complicated by a lack of data on many species. The speakers will expand on current issues facing bumble bees, as well as discussing their origins and evolutionary history, the beneficial role they play in our ecosystems, and what we as a community can do to support our fuzzy flying friends.

Speakers: Chantel Youmans and Rachel Morris

Having grown up in a tight-knit rural community in the East Kootenays, Chantel has a deep appreciation for all things outdoors. While earning her B.Sc in ecosystem management from Lethbridge Polytechnic, she developed a fascination with the prairies that has proved to be permanent, prompting her to grow roots here in southern Alberta. Before joining the Oldman Watershed Council, she provided soil fertility and restoration recommendations to her community at a local seed and fertilizer distributor. When she isn’t bouncing around the watershed for education, outreach, or restoration, you may spot Chantel in the coulees geocaching or puzzling out new plant species.

Rachel is originally from Ontario, where her work on her family’s pasture-raised beef farm solidified her love for working outdoors. She has a B.Sc in biodiversity from the University of Guelph, ON. During her studies, she worked a field tech position in a bumble bee ecology lab, learning about bumble bees on the landscape and how to support them. Rachel enjoys applying her scientific experience to all aspects of stewardship, from public outreach to restoration and biomonitoring. In her free time, she likes to climb, take pictures of wildflowers, and explore the Oldman watershed.

Date/Time: Thursday, March 26, 2026. The presentation begins at 12 noon & concludes at 1 pm

Free to attend. However, donations are gratefully accepted.

Location: SACPA sessions are held at Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO), Atrium Dining Room, 500 - 11 Street South, Lethbridge

Lunch and Refreshments: If you like, please arrive early to patronize the LSCO cafeteria and enjoy its excellent variety of good-value food/drink options in the Atrium Dining Room before the session.