US EditionA California Photographer Is on a Quest to Photograph Hundreds of Native Bees
Krystle Hickman has photographed over 300 native bee species to aid conservation and research, including about 20 species never seen alive before, highlighting threats from habitat loss and invasive bees.
- On Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, Krystle Hickman photographed over 300 native bee species at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park during her quest to document hundreds of native bees.
- Motivated by conservation concerns, Hickman supported by UC Irvine, she shifted focus after realizing native bees faced greater danger and published a book supported by National Geographic.
- Rejecting pan-trapping, Krystle Hickman uses specialized macro photography to capture tiny bee details without collecting specimens and collaborates with melittologists for identification.
- Her images include first live photographs of about 20 species, and universities and community groups collaborate with her to fill knowledge gaps; unofficially, she believes she has photographed at least four previously undescribed species.
- Searching for Franklin's bumblebee, she hopes to publish research notes this year, having traveled annually to the Oregon-California border since 2021.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Montana Standard
A California photographer is on a quest to photograph hundreds of native bees
In the Southern California desert, Krystle Hickman waits hours to photograph native bees threatened by climate change and habitat loss. She’s documented more than 300 species.
A photographer’s quest to document native bees includes an annual search along the California-Oregon border
In the arid, cracked desert ground in Southern California, a tiny bee pokes its head out of a hole no larger than the tip of a crayon.Krystle Hickman crouches over with her specialized camera fitted to capture the minute details of the bee’s antennae and fuzzy behind.“Oh my gosh, you are so cute,” Hickman murmurs before the female sweat bee flies away.Hickman is on a quest to document hundreds of species of native bees, which are under threat by…
A California photographer is on a quest to photograph hundreds of native bees - WXXV News 25
By JAIMIE DING LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the arid, cracked desert ground in Southern California, a tiny bee pokes its head out of a hole no larger than the tip of a crayon. Krystle Hickman crouches over with her specialized camera fitted to capture the minute details of the bee’s antennae and fuzzy behind. “Oh my gosh, you are so cute,” Hickman murmurs before the female sweat bee flies away. Hickman is on a quest to document hundreds of species of…
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