Dr. Gegear will update participants on the decline of wild pollinators and the importance of collecting critical ecological information that is needed to develop effective conservation and restoration strategies for threatened pollinator species. The Beecology project was developed to recruit citizen scientists from across the region to digitally collect and submit ecological data on native pollinators. You will learn and practice data collection using the smartphone and web apps developed through this project. Participants will have the chance to use online visualization tools to collect data important for improving the quality of native pollinator habitats.

Register for this free webinar through Zoom.

This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.

For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.

Speaker Bio:

Robert J. Gegear is a Professor in the Department of Biology at UMASS Dartmouth and Director of the New England Beecology Project, a citizen science-based effort to rapidly collect large amounts of ecological data on native pollination networks in New England.  He has been studying the neuroecology and conservation of pollinator-plant systems for over 20 and has over 40 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, books, and the popular press.  In recognition of his ongoing efforts to protect and restore native biodiversity in Massachusetts, Dr. Gegear was awarded the 2018 Regional Impact Award by the New England Wildflower Society.