About Mee
My love of plants and insects began in college and grew exponentially as I studied them in graduate school at the University of Maine. Insects, and particularly native bees, capture most of my attention when I'm outdoors, so much so that I began photographing them any chance I could. I have amassed a huge collection of photographs and love sharing these through social media.
After graduate school, I began teaching high school science and after a few years realized I missed the world of pollinators. I started this website as a way to share my knowledge of native bees and share information that can help with their conservation.
Articles My Photographs Have Been Featured In
How to Really Save the Bees - Humane Gardener
Publications
Leach, M. E., Dibble, A. C., Stack, L. B., Perkins, L. B., & Drummond, F. A. (2023). The effect of Plant Nutrition on Bee Flower Visitation. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 94(4). https://doi.org/10.2317/0022-8567-94.4.277
Leach, M.E. 2019. You're Surrounded. Maine Forest Collaborative. https://www.maineforestcollaborative.org/post/you-re-surrounded
Leach, M.E., Drummond, F.A. 2018. A Review of Native Wild Bee Nutritional Health. International Journal of Ecology 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9607246
Leach, M.E. 2018. Flower visitation in relation to pollen and nectar nutrition: implications for pollinator habitat and conservation. Master's Thesis. University of Maine, Orono. LINK
Dibble, A.C., Leach, M., Drummond, F.A. 2018. Pollinator habitat: A cooperative project between the landfill industry and blueberry growers. Journal of Agriculture Extension and Rural Development 10(50): pp.89 - 98. DOI: 10.5897/JAERD2018.0953
Dibble, A.C., et al. 2018. Bees and Their Habitats in Four New England States. Maine Agriculture and Forest Experiment Station Miscellaneous Report 448. LINK