Become a Beecology Citizen Science Volunteer
The Land Trust, in consultation with Dr. Robert Gegear, assistant professor of biology at UMass Dartmouth, is seeking to know more about the plant-pollinator systems present at several of our conservation properties. Through observation and identification, and by keeping track of the findings, we will collect data on bumblebee and butterfly sightings. The collected data will also contribute to a larger body of scientific understanding about pollination systems in Massachusetts and across New England being researched by Dr. Gegear and his team.
Dr. Gegear will provide a Bumblebee and Butterfly ID Workshop on June 23, 2022 for interested volunteers. Register here.
Volunteers will be supported by the Stewardship Intern and a growing community of Beecologists! Participants younger than 15 will need to be accompanied by an adult. Families are encouraged to get involved.
Volunteers will need to be able to use their own mobile device (e.g., phone, tablet) or digital camera to capture plant-pollinator sightings in the field, and their own device or computer to upload and record observations. The web app runs directly in the browser, so no downloading required.
For a copy of the position description, click here.
Additional resources:
>< A tutorial of the web app given by Dr. Gegear can be accessed by clicking here.
>< Further information about the conservation of plant-pollinator interactions is available at The Beecology Project and at the Gegear Lab at UMass Dartmouth
>< A past article may provide further inspiration for becoming a Beecologist: Robert J. Gegear, “Amplifying the Hum of the Bumblebee,” Massachusetts Wildlife, Vol. 67 No. 3, 2017
If this opportunity interests you, we would love to hear from you! Reach out to the Land Trust office using the contact information found at the bottom of this page.
