Photo by Sarah Phelan

I saw this bumble bee at Lake Merritt's trial gardens on Martin Luther King Jr. day. I was there as part of a crew of volunteers helping to relocate a bee-friendly garden that native bee advocate Celeste Ets-Hokin started a few years ago. The previous location had too much shade. Now we have a much larger sunnier spot. Thanks to help from Occupy Oakland, Oakland High School, the Victory Garden and David of Malibu Compost, we succeeded in relocating plants, digging beds and giving the soil a layer of compost before the first rain of the year hit. Thanks everyone for representing! And thanks to the bumbles for showing up, despite the chilly weather. Turns out that their coats aren't just a fashion statement. Their thick, originally tundra-adapted fur  allow them to forage earlier and later than other bees. And it helped this bumble to get out collecting nectar even on a sunny but cold day when otherwise sun-loving Italian honey bees opted to stay home in the hive.