Description
Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide
By Heather Holm
Price: $20 (Suggested Retail 29.95)
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Pollination Press LLC; First Edition (February 5, 2017)
Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10 : 0991356357
ISBN-13 : 978-0991356355
BEE IDENTIFICATION SECTION
- A comprehensive guide illustrating the bees that occur in north-central and eastern United States and southern Canada
- In-depth profiles of 27 bee genera covering the life cycles, habitats, diet, foraging behaviors, crops pollinated, plant specializations, nesting lifestyles, seasonality, and preferred native forage plants
- 12 additional summary profiles for uncommon genera
PLANT SECTION: WHAT TO PLANT FOR BEES
- Comprehensive profiles of approximately 100 native trees, shrubs, and perennials for the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast regions including insect and bird visitation information and bee specializations
- Over 1500 stunning photographs, detailed descriptions, and accessible science
NOTES: This well-illustrated guide captures the beauty, diversity, and engaging world of bees that occur in north-central and eastern United States and southern Canada, and the native plants that support them. Superbly designed and organized, this is an indispensable source of information with extensive profiles for twenty-seven bee genera, plus twelve summary profiles for uncommon genera, and approximately one hundred native trees, shrubs, and perennials for the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast regions. With over 1500 stunning photographs, detailed descriptions, and accessible science, environmental educator and research assistant Heather Holm brings to light captivating information about bees’ life cycles, habitats, diet, foraging behaviors, crops pollinated, nesting lifestyles, seasonality, and preferred native forage plants.
Bees are a singularly fascinating group of insects and this book makes it possible to observe, attract, and support them in their natural setting or in one’s own garden. Not only does this guide assist the reader with bee identification in the field or by photo, it also notes microscopic features for the advanced user. The factors impacting bee populations, and the management of farms and public and residential landscapes for bees are also covered. Included in the bee forage (plant) chapters are plant profiles with range maps, habitat information, floral features and attractants, common bees attracted to the particular plant, and details about the ecological connections between the native plant and other flower-visiting insects. Noted also are birds dependent upon the product of the pollinated flowers (fruits and seeds).
This is an excellent reference for amateur and professional naturalists, educators, gardeners, farmers, students, nature photographers, insect enthusiasts, biologists, and anyone interested in learning more about the diversity and biology of bees and their connection to native plants and the natural world.
Winner of Six Book Awards
- 2018 American Horticultural Society (AHS) Book Award
- 2018 Midwest Independent Publishing Association (MIPA) Finalist: Nature
- 2017 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Silver Book Award: Environment, Ecology, and Nature
- 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award (NGIBA) Winner: Regional Non-Fiction
- 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award (NGIBA) Finalist: Science, Nature, Environment
- 2017 National Indie Excellence Award (NIEA) Winner: Nature
About the Author:
Heather Holm is a biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author. She passionately informs and educates audiences nationwide, through her writing and many presentations, about the fascinating world of native pollinators and beneficial insects, and the native plant communities that support them.
Heather is the author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022 respectively). Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and many local publications. Heather is also an accomplished photographer and her pollinator photos are frequently featured in print and electronic publications.
Heather is a National Honorary Director of Wild Ones. She also serves on the boards of the following non-profits: Friends of Cullen Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary, Friends of Minnetonka Parks, and her local Wild Ones chapter, Prairie Edge. In her spare time, she is an active community supporter, writing grants, and coordinating and participating in volunteer ecological landscape restoration projects. The latest project is a 13-acre oak savanna restoration that will provide thriving habitat for pollinators, birds, mammals, and passive, nature-based opportunities for people.
