June 21 marks the first annual "Bee Blitz".

All nature lovers and concerned citizens in Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio are invited to get outside, snap pictures of honey & bumble bees on Sunday, June 21st, and upload their findings to BeeSpotter, the citizen science project run in collaboration between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Department of Entomology and the Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education.

The name BeeBlitz is derived from a BioBlitz, an activity in which all of the biodiversity in a specific area is examined, to provide a snapshot in time of the flora and fauna present. We want to know what species of honey & bumble bees are seen, and where they are, on the 21st, which is also Father's Day. We encourage veteran and aspiring bee spotters alike to take dear old dad on a nature walk and participate together in the blitz.

All you have to do is go outside and take a few bee photos on June 21, and upload them to BeeSpotter.