2023's bumper crop of native flowers brought many new visitors to our gardens. We were thrilled by all of the diversity and activity we were observing.
After three years of preparations and adjustments, we were visited by the exceptionally beautiful Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis). This adorable bee is the official Minnesota State Bee- it's also endangered. One of the reasons we started this project was to offer habitat for this specific bumble bee species. I hope there will be more exciting photos and stories to follow. 2023 was also the year that I got serious about my iNaturalist.org membership. It's an incredibly helpful resource and offers genuine community.
