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Chicago Environmental Heatmap (Beta)

Honey bees interact with thousands of plants across a 2–3 mile radius around each hive. As they forage, they collect information about the surrounding environment in the form of pollen, nectar, wax, and honey.

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The Chicago Heat Map is an ongoing project by Windy City Pollen to better understand biodiversity, floral diversity, and environmental health across Chicagoland.

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Using samples collected from honey bee colonies and pollinator stations, we are exploring how pollinators can help us identify environmental patterns and build a deeper understanding of urban ecosystems.

Environmental Signal

  • 🟢 Favorable

  • 🟡 Moderate

  • 🟠 Elevated

  • 🔴 High

Coming Soon​​

Future versions of the map will allow visitors to:

✓ Toggle biodiversity layers

✓ Explore floral diversity data

✓ View pesticide, herbicide, and heavy metal indicators

✓ Compare hive clusters and pollinator stations

✓ Track environmental trends over time

Interested in Bringing a Pollinator Program to Your Organization?

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