Bees of Portland, Oregon 2027

Description

Twelve months of bees, all photographed in Portland, Oregon by nature photographer Jonathan Swanson.

TWELVE PORTLAND BEES, ALMOST ALL OF THEM NATIVE. Oregon has hundreds of native bee species, and almost none of them live in hives. Leafcutters that cut neat circles out of rose leaves to build their nests. Wool carders that shave the fuzz off lamb’s ear and fly it home. Sweat bees that are metallic green for the same reason a hummingbird’s throat is red — not pigment, but light bending through microscopic layers.

The months follow the bees’ own year. Bumblebee queens open it, because they’re first out: they can shiver their flight muscles warm and work in cold rain that grounds every other bee. Sweat bees take early spring and late fall — first up out of the ground, last still flying. Leafcutters and wool carders hold the summer. Long-horned bees own the asters from August on, which is when Portland’s bee year actually peaks.

Each month names the bee and tells you one thing worth knowing about her. The honeybee is in there too, in July — the one bee everybody can name, and not a native.

Each month is a large, high-resolution photograph above a clean, writable grid. There is room beside each date for appointments, birthdays and reminders — a fine-tip pen gives the cleanest result. The coil binding flips easily and a centered hanging hole keeps it level on the wall.

Every bee has her own page. A QR code on the back cover opens a field guide at jonswanproductions.com/bees — where she nests, how she carries pollen, where in Portland she was photographed, and the full-resolution photograph if you want it.

Product features

• Twelve bee photographs, one per month
• Each bee named, with a note on how she lives
• A QR code to the online field guide
• Coil-bound with a centered hanging hole
• Roomy date cells — room to write appointments and birthdays beside the date
• Thick, high-quality paper stock

Two sizes: 11″ × 8.5″ on matte, and 14″ × 11.5″ on glossy.