Over the past decade or more, interest in native bees has grown exponentially, fueled by participatory science platforms like iNaturalist and Bumble Bee Watch, social media groups and pages, university extension programs and outreach, and participatory science projects. Additionally, the work of nonprofit organizations such as The Xerces Society, along with the publication of books on native bees and pollinators, has further sparked this curiosity. Given this interest from a broad audience of naturalists, scientists, conservation professionals, students, gardeners, and bee enthusiasts, the board members recognized that the time was right to create a free online guide illustrating the native bees of Minnesota and beyond. The guide's goal is to collect, illustrate, and disseminate information about the amazing diversity and natural history of native bees found in Minnesota and beyond. 

The catalyst and foundation for this guide, i.e. what makes this project possible, is the extensive research and work of numerous scientists who have dedicated countless hours surveying and inventorying bees in Minnesota. The key milestone was the June 2023 publication, A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Minnesota, that lists all of the State's bee species. This was the second checklist published inventorying the bees in Minnesota; the first-ever checklist was published by Frederic Washburn in 1918 and included just 66 species! The 2023 publication lists 508 species and that number has increased since its publication.