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Big Bee Bonanza was a Big Hit

We want to thank everyone who participated in BigBee Bonanza and share just how successful the project was.

During the event, 1,936 online volunteers contributed approximately 2,400 hours of work, transcribing 15,813 bee specimen labels from the CU Museum of Natural History collections. To ensure accuracy, each label is transcribed independently by three different volunteers and then reconciled into a single verified record. In total, 47,439 individual transcriptions were completed during the project — an incredible effort by our volunteer community.

Along the way, participants explored photographs of real CUMNH bee specimens and their original labels, discovering the stories behind them. Through the transcription process, volunteers encountered the work of entomologists, historic collecting locations, and the plants visited by these pollinators. Each label adds a small but meaningful piece to the scientific record.

Although BigBee Bonanza has now concluded, we hope the momentum will continue. A new project is planned for Fall 2026.

If you’re interested in participating in our next transcription effort, Boulder Bug Buffs, check back this fall to stay in the loop when the project launches.

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