Conservation of Native Pollination Systems
Event Details:
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
6:00 – 6:30 pm: Information Tables
6:30 – 8:00 pm: Talk by Dr. Gegear
Concord Free Public Library, Goodwin Forum, Main Branch, 129 Main Street, Concord
Free. All are welcome. The Library is a fully accessible space. Click here to register.
This event is being co-sponored by the Natural Resources Division and held in partnership with the Concord Pollinator Health Advisory Committee, the CCHS Green Team, and the Concord Free Public Library.
About the Information Tables
Arrive early and begin the evening by learning about what local organizations and groups are doing in the Concord community to support pollination systems, and how you can get involved. Visit the tables of partner organizations, including the Land Trust, Natural Resources Division, Concord Pollinator Health Advisory Committee, the CCHS Green Team, and the Concord Library, Fowler Branch.
About the Talk
Seeing lots of ‘bees’ or having flowers in one’s landscape doesn’t necessarily mean that a habitat is ‘pollinator-friendly’ or helping the environment. So, what do we need to know and understand to really be helpful and make a difference? What does science tell us about pollinators and plants? How do they relate to biodiversity and the rest of the ecosystem? What conservation and restoration strategies should we be using in our landscapes, particularly in northeastern Massachusetts?
Dr. Robert Gegear, a biologist at UMass Dartmouth, has studied the ecology, evolution, and conservation of plant-pollinator interactions native to eastern North America for over 20 years. He will help answer these questions and others through a highly informative and engaging talk. There will be plenty of time for questions.
Speaker Bio
Robert Gegear, is an assistant professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. His research interests include the conservation of native pollination systems, floral evolution, and bumblebee ecology. The Gegear Lab at UMASS Dartmouth researches the neuroecology and conservation of plant-pollinator interactions through integrative experimental approaches from fields such as animal behavior, human psychology, molecular biology, community ecology, and computational biology. Previously Dr. Gegear taught at Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he founded The Beecology Project, funded by the National Science Foundation. This initiative uses citizen science to collect much-needed ecological data on native pollinator species and pollinator habitat.
