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A California Photographer Is on a Quest to Photograph Hundreds of Native Bees
Krystle Hickman has documented over 300 native bee species in California to support conservation efforts amid threats from habitat loss and invasive honey bees.
- Photographer Krystle Hickman documented native bees at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on Saturday, February 14, 2026, and has photographed over 300 native bee species in North America.
- Hickman began photographing honey bees in 2018 but shifted to native bees due to threats from climate change, habitat loss, and competition from invasive honey bees.
- She was the first to photograph about 20 species alive, and Hickman’s long observation practice includes waiting 16 hours beside plants, unofficially capturing at least four previously undescribed species.
- Working with universities and community groups, Hickman sends photos for identification, supported by University of California, Irvine, and hopes to publish research notes this year.
- Her photo-first method conflicts with pan trapping because it bypasses the formal specimen submission required for species logging, as Hickman searches since 2021 at the Oregon-California border.
31 Articles
31 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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