BERKELEY, CALIF. — There are nearly 3,000 bee species native to western North America, and over 1,600 of them reside in California—one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. National Geographic Explorer and celebrated community scientist Krystle Hickman offers a guide to a selection of these remarkable species alongside her stunning nature photography in The ABCs of California’s Native Bees.

Featuring 26 species, from the Agile Longhorn Bee to the Zone-tailed Banded-Mining Bee, Hickman’s primer on the Earth’s premier pollinators is a love letter to these busy bodies and a clarion call for their conservation. Native bees—as distinct from honey bees—are at risk of extinction due to climate change and habitat loss. They may be native to an area as small as a zip code or as large as an entire nation, though wherever they reside, they are integral to their surrounding ecosystems. The number of species native to California dwarfs the variety to be found in whole countries, such as France or Argentina, and rivals the biodiversity of the entire continent of Australia. This natural abundance of bees makes the Golden State significant terrain for entomologists. And since bees are an indicator species—whose absence or decline in population are often a first signal of ecosystem collapse—the study of bees is significant terrain for environmentalists writ large.

In the The ABCs of California’s Native Bees, Hickman profiles a handful of the species that underpin the ecologies of the Golden State. Each chapter profiles a distinct species, from the rare desert-dwellers to the storied bumble bees, and includes intricate photography, tips on identification, and details about each bee’s biome, preferred plantlife, traits, and seasonality. Through her anecdotes and observations, Hickman’s passions alight the reader’s enthusiasm, enjoining them on her quest to spread awareness around these minute but mighty insects.