McMaster University recognizes that the University and surrounding Hamilton area, including their nature spaces, are situated on traditional territories shared between the Haudenosaunee confederacy and Anishnaabe nations. These lands are protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum belt. The wampum uses the symbolism of a dish to represent the territory, and one spoon to represent that the people are to share the resources of the land and only take what they need.
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Nature @ McMaster

Stop#16 – Life Sciences Building

The sixteenth stop on the Bee Trail is located outside of the Life Sciences Building and the new Biology Greenhouse. It includes 5 native bee homes made of pine wood and filled with paper tubes. Installed on October 28, 2021 by Facility Services and the Fall 2021 SUSTAIN 3S03 Team.

***Temporarily removed for greenhouse construction***

Fun Fact: Colletid Bees have short, forked tongues that they use to apply a transparent, cellophane-like coating to their brood cells (1).

 

Species Highlight: Colletid bees, or plasterer/cellophane bees, line their nests to protect their young from moisture and fungi (1). 

Local Native Bee Spotlight: The Common Eastern Plasterer Bee (Colletes inaequalis) is a local species of plasterer/cellophane bee found in our area!

 

References:

  1. Native A. Alberta Native Bee Council [Internet]. Alberta Native Bee Council. 2014 [cited 2024 Dec 3]. Available from: https://www.albertanativebeecouncil.ca/colletidae