Bumble bees are some of the world’s most important pollinators, yet many bumble bee species are in decline.  Our understanding of how landscape changes affect bumble bees is often limited to studies of where they forage on flowers.  Through this project, REU students will test how bumble bees use landscapes throughout their life cycles. Students will compare the behavior and abundance of bumble bees across habitat types. We hypothesize that bees use different habitat types for nesting vs. foraging, and also use different habitat types for foraging at different points in their life cycles. Students will gain skills in insect field ecology, bee and plant species identification, and statistical analysis. Students will also have the option to conduct this research at two UC Reserves, in coastal and subalpine landscapes.