This article spotlights conservation photographer Krystle Hickman and her California-wide project documenting native bees. There’s a new emphasis on how Marin County residents—from San Rafael to Mill Valley and Sausalito—can support these vital pollinators in everyday gardening.
Hickman’s work, featured in her book The ABCs of California’s Native Bees, tracks species across the state. She documents the habitats they rely on and the growing threats they face as the climate changes.
Discover hand-picked hotels and vacation homes tailored for every traveler. Skip booking fees and secure your dream stay today with real-time availability!
Browse Accommodations Now
Meet the photographer behind the project
Krystle Hickman is a National Geographic Explorer based in California’s San Fernando Valley. She started photographing native bees after spotting an unfamiliar andrena mining bee among honeybees.
Her journey has taken her from Marin’s redwood canopies to the grassy edges of San Anselmo. Along the way, she’s built a sweeping catalog of the state’s native bees and their homes.
Hickman points out that California hosts about 1,600 native bee species—that’s roughly 8% of the world’s bee diversity. These bees span a huge range of habitats, from coastal dunes near Tiburon to oak woodlands around Fairfax and beyond.
California’s native bees: scope, threats, and resilience
Native bees are both vulnerable and resilient, Hickman says. The species she documents face threats from climate change, habitat loss, pesticides, and competition with honeybees, which can carry diseases as they roam from the Marin Headlands to Point Reyes.
Her photography shows how fire and habitat destruction push pollinators to the brink. Yet sometimes, after disasters like the Eaton Fire, bees and wildflowers reappear in nearby landscapes.
Most native bees are solitary and won’t sting humans unless provoked. Hickman likes to remind people that these creatures are usually more interested in nesting than confrontation.
Protecting native bee habitats, she argues, doesn’t require fancy gear. Thoughtful landscape stewardship matters more, especially for Marin County gardeners—from Tiburon to San Quentin, and Novato to Corte Madera—who want to create spaces where bees can nest and forage without constant human disturbance.
Bees in Marin: habitats, habitats, habitats
Across Marin’s varied towns—San Rafael’s neighborhoods, hillside gardens in Mill Valley, waterfront plots in Sausalito, and rural pockets near San Geronimo—the same principles hold: native bees need undisturbed nesting sites and diverse forage. Hickman’s observations remind Bay Area residents that protecting nesting spots is as important as planting nectar sources.
Ground-nesting bees like bare patches of soil. Others use cavities in old stems, pithy stalks, or decaying wood. In Marin’s climate, these habitats can last year after year with a little care and smart plant choices.
Gardening tactics for Marin yards
Want to invite native bees into your San Rafael backyard or your Sausalito terrace? Try these:
- Preserve nesting sites—leave grasses, lightly trimmed perennials, bare soil patches, and leaf litter where you can, especially in sunny corners.
- Avoid over-mulching and over-pruning—too much mulch or pruning can wipe out the microhabitats bees need for nesting and foraging.
- Let native plants go to seed—seed heads feed bees and support the broader ecosystem after flowers fade.
- Reconsider water dishes—hydration helps, but the real key is nesting habitat and a variety of plants that provide resources all year.
- Favor native plantings—a mix of California natives suited to Marin’s seasons will help bee populations through spring pollen surges and summer nectar gaps.
For residents from Fairfax to Larkspur, these steps offer practical, low-cost ways to boost pollinator health. You don’t have to compromise the character of Marin’s landscapes, either.
Resilience and hope: lessons from Bay Area fires
The Eaton Fire story in Hickman’s work packs a punch. After fires change landscapes, native bees and their host plants often rebound if habitats get a chance to recover and gardeners hold back on over-management.
This means a lot for Marin homeowners who’ve watched wildfires creep near, from Corte Madera’s southern ridges to Tiburon’s hillside estates. Hickman’s narrative sees fire recovery as a chance to reimagine gardens as sanctuaries—not just for pollinators, but for neighbors too.
Local action for San Anselmo, San Rafael, and beyond
Marin County residents can take Hickman’s insights and make real changes. Create bee-friendly patches in backyard borders, keep open soil nests, and plant for a year-round bloom cycle with a mix of natives.
By embracing these practices in neighborhoods from Ross to Mill Valley, San Rafael to Sausalito, Marin gardeners help safeguard a remarkable thread of biodiversity. It’s something that sustains both our farms and our cityscapes—and honestly, it’s just good stewardship.
A statewide mission: The ABCs of California’s Native Bees
The ABCs of California’s Native Bees acts as a statewide map for understanding and protecting bees. Hickman set out to document species, share habitats, and raise awareness.
These efforts fit right in with Marin County’s values: stewardship, resilience, and a pollinator-friendly landscape that supports local economies, schools, and families.
As the Bay Area faces more climate shifts, Hickman’s work—along with help from County residents—offers a real-world blueprint for sustaining California’s bee heritage. It’s a mission that starts with just one yard, one garden, and hopefully, one thriving habitat at a time.
Here is the source article for this story: See California’s native bees close up in Krystle Hickman’s photos
Find available hotels and vacation homes instantly. No fees, best rates guaranteed!
Check Availability Now
Cities and Towns in Marin County
Things to Do in Marin County
Places to Stay in Marin County
