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LinkedIn#25 Bee ID
Instructions in English
Congratulations, you found a UC 4-H Community Adventure Challenge! Let's have some fun!
Your challenge is to notice some of the fine details around you. Keen observation of even the smallest similarities and differences in things is a skill you can develop with practice.
These adventures are located all around Yolo County (a complete list of locations can be found on the navigation bar on the left).
Below are directions for how to complete this fun activity. You may choose to do all three levels of difficulty, each is a little different. Select which level you would like to try first.
There is also an activity you can do at home below. 
1. Take a look at the large pot in the front of the building that says “Bee City U.S.A.” on it.
2. This pot tells the story of the bees that live in our area. Bees are beneficial/good insects that help fruits and flowers to reproduce and grow. They are essential to our food system. When they land on a flower to drink its nectar (sugary water), they get pollen (powdery stuff) stuck to their legs and body. The bees drink up the nectar and take it back to the hive to turn it into honey. But, when they land on another flower to keep drinking, some of the pollen falls off and is transferred. When a flower gets new pollen, it can start to grow a piece of fruit.
3. If you would like to see a video of how pollen is transferred in slow motion, click here.
4. Now let's see how many of each of these items can you find on the pot? Walk around and touch each one as you count.
- Bees
- Trees
- Beehives
- Hexagons tiles
- Leaves
- Sunflowers
- Other flowers
1. Take a look at the large pot in the front of the building that says “Bee City U.S.A.” on it.
2. How are the images on it made?
3. This type of art is called a mosaic. It is sort of like a puzzle. The artist created some pieces out of clay to look like flowers or beehives. What other pieces did the artist make to resemble real objects?
4. Other pieces are broken tiles. These are the flat smooth pieces. The artist fits all these together to make a picture.
5. Which piece is your favorite?
6. This pot tells the story of the bees that live in our area. Bees are beneficial/good insects that help fruits and flowers to reproduce and grow. They are essential to our food system. When they land on a flower to drink its nectar (sugary water), they get pollen (powdery stuff) stuck to their legs and body. The bees drink up the nectar and take it back to the hive to turn it into honey. But, when they land on another flower to keep drinking, some of the pollen falls off and is transferred. When a flower gets new pollen, it can start to grow a piece of fruit.
7. Here is a video if you would like to see how this happens.
8. Now, let's look for some other real insects. Walk around and find as many real insects as you can. Take a photo of each. If you want to know what they are, proceed to the advanced instructions below.
1. This pot tells the story of the bees that live in our area. Bees are beneficial/good insects that help fruits and flowers to reproduce and grow. They are essential to our food system. When they land on a flower to drink its nectar (sugary water), they get pollen (powdery stuff) stuck to their legs and body. The bees drink up the nectar and take it back to the hive to turn it into honey. But, when they land on another flower to keep drinking, some of the pollen falls off and is transferred. When a flower gets new pollen, it can start to grow a piece of fruit.
2. Here is a video if you would like to see how this happens.
3. Now, walk around and find other insects.
4. Take close-up photos.
5. Go to the iNaturalist website, or download the app.
6. Use the “Identify” function at the top in of the iNaturalist program to determine what the insect is called, both the common and scientific name.
7. Click on “Upload” to upload your photo so that the program can try to recognize it.
8. Once you know what it is, add to the “Observations” tab. The information in iNaturalist app helps scientists to know what lives in an area.
WHILE YOU ARE HERE
Around the corner is a community garden. Take a look to see what is growing. There are also several other adventures in this area. Check out the map or list to the left to find more!
You may want to visit the Häagan-Dazs Honey Bee Haven in Davis.
Beginner-
1. Find some insects in your house, yard, or at the park.
2. How many can you find?
3. Bring along a magnifying glass if you have one so you can study them up close. Do they have wings, legs, or antennae?
4. Be very careful not to hurt them when looking at them. Each insect is important and has a role to play in nature.
Intermediate-
1. What insects can you find around your house? Under some dirt? On a tree? In a bush?
2. You can attract certain kinds of insects by planting certain flowers. If you would like to help the honeybees (who are not reproducing as quickly as they use to, which has scientists worried), plant some of the flowers that they love! You can find a list here.
Advanced-
1. Add more observations to iNaturalist (You can also take photos of plants and animals).
2. Pay special attention to plants that tend to attract bees. What are they called?
3. Consider planting some yourself to help with dwindling bee populations. 
LOCATION (For those without a smart phone)
300 1st St, Woodland, CA 95695
What was your favorite piece on the pot or how many insects did you find?