In Boulder, pollen collected by thousands of bees will help measure the health of the city’s ecosystems

Using bees to gauge the health of an ecosystem. Scientists in Boulder are testing out an unusual plan to use bees to gauge how plants and other species in the city are thriving. It works like this: A neighborhood group hosts a few hives on their property. Thousands of bees fly around the neighborhood collecting pollen and returning it to the hive. Then, researchers can test the different types of pollen that bees bring back to paint a picture of the different plants in the area. Or tests may reveal traces of pollutants that show what could be harming the ecosystem. Brett KenCairn manages nature-based solutions for the City of Boulder. He's overseeing the bee project, which launched recently. And he says the data being collected by the bees would take a huge amount of human effort to gather. He spoke with Erin O’Toole about it. If you’re interested in hosting your own “biomonitor” beehive, read more about the program. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks! Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.