Boise (670 KBOI News) – Deer, elk, moose, trout…everyone knows it’s Idaho Fish and Game’s job to manage those and dozens of other species…but bumble bees?

Ross Winton with Fish and Game says yes, they do manage bumble bees, and you can help by simply snapping pictures of any bumble bees you might see while out hunting, fishing, camping, or otherwise enjoying the outdoors.

“It’s just an app that goes on your phone, and it uses your camera,” said Winton.  “You take a picture of the bee you see while you’re out and about, then your phone has a built-in GPS.  So that takes your location and puts  a dot on the map, then the the photo is associated with that dot.  It gives us a lot of information for managing these species.”

The project is called the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas, and Fish and Game has partnered with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State University, the Oregon Bee Project, and the Xerxes  Society.  Click here to go to the PNW Bumble Bee Atlas webpage, where you can download the app.

Crouch says bumble bees are vital to our agricultural economy, because they’re pollinators.