Dr. Sheila Colla ©Zurry Donevan
Dr. Sheila Colla
Long before the world understood the scale of pollinator decline, Dr. Sheila Colla was sounding the alarm.
A pioneering conservation biologist, Sheila documented dramatic declines in native bumble bees – including the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee.
Her research helped lead to the species being designated Endangered in both Canada and the United States—the first bumble bee in North America to receive that protection.
Sheila co-founded Bumble Bee Watch, turning public observations into vital scientific data and connecting people across North America in the fight to protect wild bees.
Her field guide became an award-winning reference, and her research has been cited more than 5,500 times.
But Sheila’s legacy goes beyond science.
She championed equity and inclusion, creating pathways for women of colour and others historically underrepresented in science.
Even through illness, she continued speaking for endangered pollinators.
Sheila Colla made so many of us love bees—and showed us why they are worth protecting.
Congratulations Dr. Sheila Colla, recipient of the 2026 True North Wildlife Conservation Leadership Award