University receives $500,000 anonymous gift for research on bees

In this July 8, 2015 photo a bumblebee gathers nectar on a wildflower in Appleton, Maine. Maine scientists say the state needs to take a broad census of its bumblebees to ensure the security of its beloved blueberry and cranberry crops, and the state is enlisting its residents to make it possible. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

BURLINGTON, Vermont — The University of Vermont (UVM) has received a surprise gift of half a million dollars to go toward researching bees.

The $500,000 anonymous gift was announced on Tuesday. WCAX-TV reports the money will go toward studying bee pollinators, why the bee population is currently in decline, and what can be done to reverse the decline.

UVM’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics Taylor Ricketts said officials had no idea the gift was coming. Ricketts said the donor was concerned about bees and the essential role they play in ecology and the environment.

The institute plans a call for proposals for grants to do work related to pollinators this summer or fall. Proposals will not have to be from UVM. /kga