An endangered species of bee has been discovered in southwest Davenport. Amy Loving, the Director of Education at Nahant Marsh, found the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee by chance.
"I was out one morning, taking photos, and (I) came back into the office and was scrolling through my photos on the computer and came across what I thought was a Rusty Patched bumble bee and got pretty excited about it."
Biologists from the US Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed her discovery.
Loving says that in order to save endangered bees like the Rusty Patched, the marsh has been continuing to diversify plant life and remove invasive species.
Outside of the marsh, there's plenty of ways people can help preserve bees in their own backyard - by planting native plants and sharing their own photos of bees with scientists.
"We see bumble bees everywhere, on the clovers in our backyard, on wild flowers along the sidewalk, and so I think it's just a great way and an easy way for people to get involved with conservation," Loving said.
The Rusty Patched and other bees are threatened by loss of habitat and the use of herbicides and insecticides.
To learn more, visit bumblebeewatch.com.