Habitat Survey Overview
Rapid Habitat Assessments, or habitat surveys, will take place at all point and roadside surveys, but not incidental surveys. Habitat surveys will help us to gain a better understanding of what habitat features are important for bumble bees, and provide insight on how to better manage our lands to promote bumble bee conservation.

You can do your habitat surveys before or after your bumble bee survey,  but they do need to be done on the same day to ensure the habitat conditions correspond to the observed bumble bee community. These surveys should take no more than 30 minutes, and the time needed will vary depending on a surveyor's experience and the habitat complexity.

To complete these surveys you will need:

1. The datasheet
2. A camera
3. A local wildflower plant guide
4. The latitude and longitude of your location (see other resources for assistance)
5. Basic weather information (see other resources for assistance)
6. Your Grid ID

Conducting a Habitat Survey
Step 1: Fill out Site Information

1. The site name should be the same site name you use for your Bumble Bee observations.
2. Latitude and Longitude should be in decimal degrees (NOT using minutes and seconds - see Figure).
3. Weather can be obtained using a local weather station or smartphone app of your choosing.​

Step 2: Fill out Habitat Information

1. Circle ONE dominant habitat type of the SURVEY AREA (area surveyed for bumble bees) under Developed or Natural Areas (not both). It may be difficult to choose just one, but please do your best. You can add notes under Site Description if need be.
2. Circle all observed habitat types present in the SURROUNDING AREA.
3. Circle how much of the SURVEY AREA has flowering resources.​
4. Circle the number of flowering plant species you observe in the SURVEY AREA.
5. Circle all observed features you see in or near the survey area.
6. Answer the questions about site management to the best of your ability. This includes the SURVEY AREA and the SURROUNDING AREA.

Step 3: Fill out Plant Species in Bloom
Walk through your SURVEY AREA and document each species of blooming plant. Wildflower field guides and apps can be helpful, but please be sure to photo document each species.

1. Include the common name of each plant that you observe blooming within the SURVEY AREA. If you are unsure in the field, denote as unknown and complete later. For example: "unknown yellow 1"
2. Include the scientific name of each plant you observe in bloom within the SURVEY AREA. If you are unsure in the field, write unknown and complete later.
3. Include the corresponding photo file names for later documentation.

Step 4: Submit your data
For instructions on submitting Habitat Data, click here.