BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The University of Vermont 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.

Anonymous #UVM gift creates #ApisFund to save threatened #bees: https://t.co/oIUJptjOt2 #pollinators pic.twitter.com/2LDnhbdWGE

— Gund Institute (@GundInstitute) March 5, 2019

UVM'sGund Institute for Ecological Economics Taylor Ricketts says officials had no idea the gift was coming. Ricketts says 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.