Entomologist Jerry Freilich, recently retired as Olympic National Park’s research coordinator, presented Bees and Biodiversity on January 7, 2016, at the QUUF.

Most people can name perhaps three or four kinds of bees. They are incredulous to learn that there are actually close to 4,000 species of native bees in North America and this does not include honey bees (which are non-native). One of Freilich’s most recent projects was an effort to find and identify as many bee species as possible in Olympic National Park.

This talk explained why bees are so difficult to study. Most are tiny, fast-flying and inconspicuous. They go about their jobs, don’t interact with people, and generally fly below human radar.

The program began at 7 pm in the QUUF’s sanctuary hall on San Juan Avenue, Port Townsend. This event was free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of five dollars.