Bee Line Bonanza: St. Paul’s Nature Quest
Track, Snap, Share!
In 2025, community stewards at Pierce Butler Meadow along the Bee Line are inviting neighbors from Midway, Frogtown, and Como to help document the nature that thrives around us. By logging observations of insects, plants, and animals on easy-to-use digital community science platforms, we can track how our shared efforts to naturalize local spaces are making a difference.
Why does it matter? Because what we notice, we can nurture. Already, the endangered Rusty Patched Bumblebee calls our community home — a sign of the vital role our greenspaces play. By recording sightings of species like this, or of migrating birds and other wildlife, we not only have fun discovering nature together, but also help build a clearer picture of how our neighborhood greenspaces support life. Every observation counts — and your participation helps our entire community grow stronger, healthier, and more connected to the natural world we share.
Noticing Nature
This community science effort does more than help us track changes in our neighborhoods along the Bee Line — it sparks a powerful ripple effect. As we begin to notice more birds, pollinators, and other wildlife, we’re inspired to create even more welcoming spaces for nature to thrive. In turn, these flourishing greenspaces draw more eyes, more curiosity, and more care from neighbors of all ages. The more we observe and connect with the natural world around us, the more we’re moved to protect and nurture it — together.
What is iNaturalist?
iNaturalist is a community science platform that records biodiversity by collecting sightings made by anyone in the area. Researchers worldwide often use iNaturalist data to study animals, plants, fungi, insects and more from the observations uploaded to this platform. Anyone can participate by taking pictures of bees, plants, birds and uploading them to the iNaturalist app.
Check out our HMEC account to see what our camera traps are observing! Also, there are 2 iNat projects that you can connect to your account so you can check back on thed latest observations. Any observation in the project’s geographic areas gets counted!
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-bee-line-parcels
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-bee-line-and-beyond
How to Participate
Follow these easy instructions from iNaturalist.
Leveling up involvement – become a Community Scientist!
- Capture everything– even what seems mundane, we need that data too!
- Multiple visits to the same location! Look for future camera stands along the Bee Line.
- Turn on metadata
- Crop your photos before uploading
- Recruit your neighbors!– the more people we have involved the better
- Check out this in depth guide for folks who really want to improve their photos and observations