Celebrating Nature's Firsts: Fairfield Resident Wins Prestigious First-Bumble-Bee-of-the-Year Contest
Celebrating Nature's Firsts: Fairfield Resident Wins Prestigious First-Bumble-Bee-of-the-Year Contest In a delightful start to the new year, Nancy Hansen, a resident of Fairfield, clinched victory in the 4th annual Robbin Thorp Memorial First-Bumble-Bee-of-the-Year Contest. The competition, held in honor of the late Robbin Thorp, a distinguished expert on bees, encourages participants to capture the first bumblebee sighting of the year. Hansen's video featuring a black-tailed bumblebee secured her place as the earliest recipient of this esteemed recognition. A Winning Moment Captured: Black-Tailed Bumblebee Graces Madrone Tree Hansen's winning video, showcasing a black-tailed bumblebee, Bombus melanopygus, was submitted to the Bohart Museum of Entomology. Filmed at 10:57 a.m. in her backyard near a madrone tree (Arbutus menziesii), the footage captures a moment of natural beauty and biodiversity. Contest coordinator Lynn Kimsey, UC Davis distinguished professor of entomol...