The Oregon Bee Atlas is currently leading the world in research on bee-plant interactions. Most native bee species need native plants to survive, but the diet breadth in bee species is wildly variable and much remains to be learned. From Sedum bees to Penstemon bees and Lomatium bees, a rich diversity of bee species found in western Oregon have specialized relationships with native plants and can be extremely picky about which pollen they will feed their young. In this vividly illustrated talk, August Jackson will present an exploration of the floral relationships of dozens of specialist bees, introduce some bees (and plants?) new to science, and discuss ways to support bees in the home garden or community restoration effort.

August Jackson works with the Oregon Bee Atlas at Oregon State University coordinating a program for the inventory and monitoring of bees on National Wildlife Refuges in the Pacific Northwest. August is an expert in the identification of bees in Western North America and is responsible for identifying tens of thousands of bees from across the region annually. August is most interested in the relationship between bees and plants, and especially specialized relationships which have coevolved over thousands, if not millions of years. Prior to his work at OSU, August worked for over a decade at Mount Pisgah Arboretum in Eugene, and remains interested in all facets of the natural history of the region, but particularly flowering plants!