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Join us on Saturday, June 17, 2017 for the third annual BeeBlitz, taking place at the beginning of National Pollinator Week!

All residents of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio are invited to canvas their backyards and neighborhoods for bees, snap some pics, and upload them to BeeSpotter on Saturday, June 17th. 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. BeeSpotter wants to know what species of honey & bumble bees are seen, and where they are, on the 17th. We encourage veteran and aspiring bee spotters alike to venture out on a nature walk and participate in the blitz.

We have a number of BeeBlitz events scheduled throughout the day for the Champaign-Urbana area. You can help us plan by letting us know you're interested, though you're welcome to participate even if you don't sign up in advance. BeeBlitz events will take place at the Pollinatarium, Meadowbrook Park, and another local prairie to be determined the day of the blitz.

You can find out more about the event on the BeeBlitz webpage.

Whether you're joining us at the Pollinatarium, coordinating a BeeBlitz in your own area, or venturing out on your own, we'd like to know about it. Let us know about your plans!

For the eighth year, the University of Illinois Department of Physics is bringing "Science at the Market" on selected Saturday mornings to Urbana's Market at the Square. Various U of I and other experts will be on hand each week with demonstrations illustrating the science they represent and to answer questions from the public about the researchers' disciplines.

For example, you may learn about:

• What birds and other animals live in Champaign-Urbana parks
• Floating superconductors
• Solar flares via solar telescopes
• Pants that don't stain thanks to nanotechnology
• 3-D printing by the Illinois Geometry Lab (IGL)
• Lizards and other animals shown by the Graduate Students in
• Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (GEEB)
• And a lot about bees, bumblebees, and pollination on Polinators' Saturdays

June 2017 Schedule:

• June 3, 2017: Staerkel Planetarium /CU Astronomy Club
• June 10, 2017: The University of Illinois Mechanical Science and Engineering
• June 17, 2017: University of Illinois Department of Entomology - Pollinators
• June 24, 2017: University of Illinois Department of Astronomy

On the morning of Saturday, May 13, 2017, MSTE will occupy the booth for Science at the Market at the Urbana Market at the Square. Come to the Farmers' Market from 8:00am to 12:00pm to share science activities with the MSTE team!

This event is free and open to the public!