Want to Work With Wildlife?

We talk with bee (and pollinator) expert Cory Sheffield

ees are a big deal. They are among our most important pollinators — creatures we just can’t live editor spoke with without! WILD’s bee expert at the Cory Sheffield, a

Museum, who Royal Saskatchewan started in his shared how he got can focus on career and what you out what to BEE if you’re figuring when you grow up.

It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Sheffield. Can you tell us about what you do?

CS: Hi! I work at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina, Saskatchewan, as the curator of invertebrate zoology. That means I primarily study bees and other wasps, including documenting how many species we have, how to tell them apart, bee conservation and their importance as pollinators. My job allows me to work outdoors and indoors. As bees and wasps fly in the warm months, I spend this time studying, photographing and collecting them. When it comes time to look at them under the microscope, I try to do this in the colder months, and in Saskatchewan, it can get very cold. This allows me to see bees all year long!

How did you know you wanted to get into the world of bees?

CS: I have always been interested in nature. Strangely though, plants were what I was most interested in first. When I was a student at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, I had the opportunity to study plant-insect relationships. My project was on pollination of the lowbush blueberry, and I quickly realized that there were not a lot of people in Canada at the time who were interested in the taxonomy of Canadian bees (which means there were not many people that could distinguish the 800+ species of bees we had in Canada).

Do you have any advice for readers who don’t like bees or have a fear about them getting too close?

CS: I think the best advice for people who are really scared of bees is to remember the expression “if you don’t hurt them, they won’t hurt you.” Appreciate them from a distance, and don’t do anything silly, like purposefully disturb nests or try to grab them. I would also tell anyone fearful that they are missing out on appreciating truly amazing animals. Watching bees on flowers is wonderful, and if you are careful, you can watch all of their behaviours as they work flowers for pollen and nectar. They really do not mind you there, and if they do, they will just leave.

What are the biggest issues for bees right now?

CS: There are several, the most important issue for bees is likely the loss of suitable habitat. Specifically, bees require food plants and nesting sites to survive, and many of these are found in natural ecosystems. When we lose natural spaces to agricultural intensification and urbanization, it means less quality habitat for bees. Some bees, including bumblebees, require food plants all year long, so it is important that plants that flower at different times throughout the year are available. This is also important for solitary bees, because if there aren’t any food plants available at the time the adult bees emerge, they will leave these sites altogether.

What can we do to help the bees?

CS: Finding out about local plants that bees need and helping plant some is a great way to start. You can also support areas that already help bee populations, such as local parks, and find out who is researching or helping bees in your region. Think about local natural history groups, conservation organizations, and your regional entomological society. The meetings are always a great place for discussing all things nature. And you don’t need to be a professional to join these groups — I feel that nonprofessionals would feel very welcome! You may be surprised how much we still need to learn about bees. Even in Canada, bee species new to science are being discovered regularly.

What should our readers do if they want to turn their love for pollinators into a profession?

CS: Volunteering with researchers who are already helping bees will help you learn if this field is right for you. There are many bright young ecologists and entomologists in Canada who got their start this way — they are also awesome role models for young people concerned about nature. Next, think about biological studies or a conservation-related field at universities and community colleges. Whether you are interested in bee diversity, conservation, behaviour or studying their role as pollinators, you can get some of the training you would need by following this career path. Most importantly, it is really good to be passionate about nature!