Secret Pollinators
A native bee podcast about bumblebees, wild bees, and the pollinators most people have never heard of.
Native pollinators are responsible for 1 in 3 bites of food we eat — yet most of them are disappearing because nobody knows they exist. The Secret Pollinators is the native bee podcast that changes that, one tiny hero at a time.
Each episode reveals the secret world of native bees, bumblebees, wild bees, butterflies, beetles, and the other lesser-known pollinators doing the real heavy lifting in American gardens, farms, and wild landscapes. Spoiler alert: that tomato on your plate was probably pollinated by a native bee, not a honeybee. The blueberry on your morning oatmeal? Almost certainly a bumblebee.
Host Kelly — a Certified Pollinator Steward based in Montana — is on a mission to make a real difference in the lives of native pollinators through short, mind-blowing episodes about the 4,000+ species of native bees you've never heard of. Mason bees that build with mud. Leafcutter bees that scissor flower petals. Ground-nesting bees that live underground by the millions. Bumblebees are so specialized that they only forage from a single wildflower. Plus the butterflies, beetles, and other pollinators working overtime in your backyard.
Every episode is packed with bee science, surprising natural history, and simple actions you can take to support these essential creatures — whether you live in a big-city apartment or on a sprawling farm.
Warning: you might become slightly obsessed with spotting bumblebees everywhere you go. Kelly definitely is. When that happens, join the Secret Pollinators Facebook community to share your discoveries and connect with fellow native bee advocates.
For more native pollinator info, visit the Pollinator Partnership: www.pollinator.org
Do Native Bees Make Better American Olive Oil?
The US olive oil market is worth nearly three billion dollars — and 95 percent of it is imported. But across seven American states, a small, quality-focused domestic industry is growing. And native be...
Bumble Bees Have Their Own Air Conditioning? Scientists Just Found Out!
A brand-new study — published this week in the Journal of Animal Ecology — just revealed something remarkable about bumble bee colonies: they function as living thermostats, maintaining their brood at...
Do Wild Bees Eat Lawn Grass Pollen? Surprising Science Says Yes
Everybody knows grasses are wind-pollinated. Right? RIGHT?? Turns out the textbooks have been quietly leaving something out. Bees — honeybees, bumblebees, sweat bees, mining bees — are visiting grass ...
