Reviving Habitat for Native Bees and Plants: A Practical Guide from Specimen to Site

Habitat loss is a major driver of global biodiversity decline, threatening native insects and plants alike. Ecological restoration, the process of reviving degraded habitats to support biodiversity, is a critical strategy for addressing these losses. In this work, we demonstrate how specimen data from natural history collections can be used to inform and focus habitat restoration efforts for both plants and insects. We outline key concepts and guiding questions to consider throughout the restoration process, from initial planning to long-term monitoring. These principles are applied to two southern California sites, North Campus Open Space (NCOS) and Coal Oil Point Reserve (COPR), where we developed targeted restoration plans for the imperiled native bumble bee Bombus crotchii (Cresson, 1878). Our site- and species-specific approach includes provisioning of floral and non-floral resources, as well as strategies to increase nesting habitat. We underscore the importance of evaluating restoration outcomes and call for standardized rapid assessment protocols to guide future efforts. By identifying effective practices and success indicators, this work provides a practical framework to support native bee conservation in a time of urgent ecological need.