What do bees have to do with your lunch today? Well, you can thank pollinators for about 1/3 of all the food on your plate! We rely on pollinators to pollinate over 30% of the fruits and vegetables we eat every day, yet most people don't appreciate the amazing diversity of pollinators in California. I'll discuss some of California's beautiful native bees, what food and habitat they need to survive, and how integral they are for crops and native plants alike. Unfortunately, bees are also facing a lot of threats from loss of natural habitat and harmful agricultural chemicals. My research focuses on what farmers can do to encourage healthy pollinator communities, but we'll also talk about what you can do to be pollinator-friendly and how you can start appreciating the bees in your very own backyard.