Lincoln Junior High students named Pollinator Protectors of the Year for state bee project

The DuPage Monarch Project has named the eighth-grade students at Lincoln Junior High in Naperville as the Pollinator Protectors of the Year. The students played a pivotal role in the recent designation of the black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus) as an Illinois State Symbol.

The journey of the black and gold bumble bee to becoming Illinois’ state bee began in a Naperville classroom. Barb Bell and Emily Barlog, eighth-grade science teachers at Lincoln Jr. High, designed a project about native bees for their students.

The students were asked to research a list of 10 native bee species and narrow it down to three candidates. With assistance from the Regional Board of Education, the three bees and the research findings were shared with schools around the state for students to vote for their favorite bee.

The black and gold bumble bee was the top pick. It is a big, fuzzy teddy bear of a bee with vivid yellow and black stripes. A pollinating powerhouse with a preference for grassland habitat, the black and gold bumble bee captures both Illinois’ historic landscape and agricultural traditions.

Protecting Illinois’ native bees begins with knowing about them. The Lincoln Junior High students took a major step forward by bringing the importance of native bees to the attention of policymakers and the public.

By learning about the bees and engaging students around the state to participate in the selection of a state bee, a native prairie bee was chosen to represent the Prairie State.

Visit dupagemonarchs.com.