Somerville Garden Club

More than just the buzz: A practical guide to native pollination system conservation (and why it matters)

Over the past two decades, human activity has significantly degraded the integrity of plant-pollinator or ‘pollination’ systems across New England, with many of our historically abundant native flowing plant and pollinator species becoming locally extinct and others soon to follow if we do not take immediate conservation action. The loss of species from plant-pollinator systems poses a significant threat to natural ecosystem functioning and services supporting human health and well-being due to the fundamental role that ‘pollination products’play in supporting wildlife diversity across trophic levels. Yet, the factors driving pollination system degradation remain unclear, impeding the development of effective conservation strategies. In this talk, I will discuss how ecological data collected by my research lab and Beecology Citizen Science Project are being used to gain insight into the causes of species loss from bee and butterfly pollination systems native to NewEngland. I will also highlight the ‘eco-technology’ that has been developed to aid Beecologists in the collection of species interaction data, including the launch of a new version of the web app with automated butterfly and plant ID functions powered by iNaturalist in Spring 2022. My talk will conclude with an overview of how citizen-scientists have been using Beecology data to significantly advance native biodiversity restoration efforts in Massachusetts over the past 3 years.

Robert J. Gegear is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at UMassDartmouth. He received his PhD from Western University in Canada and was aPostdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at theUniversity of Toronto (Canada) and in the Department of Neurobiology at UMASSMedical School. His research integrates concepts and methodologies fromevolutionary ecology, psychology, neurobiology, molecular biology, and computerscience to gain insight into the functioning and conservation of plant-pollinatorsystems.

In-person meetings are held the at the Tufts Administration Building, (TAB), 167 Holland Street, second floor, wheelchair accessible. Parking is available for a small fee, and the building is a ten-minute walk from the Davis Square MBTA stop.

All Somerville Garden Club meetings are free and open to the public. 7-9pm. The SGC has been informed that the entry doors to the TAB will be locked at 8pm, effective immediately, including on our meeting days. Please arrange your arrival times accordingly.

The 21st Century Flower Garden is more than a bed of pretty flowers. These plants have a purpose! Random acts of kindness, privacy screening, celebrations, and attracting pollinators… in addition to providing us with colorful blooms. Find out about changes in flower garden design and planting options, and how you might want to shake things up in your 21st century landscape. Hear too about how we can all raise our spirits with flowers, even in difficult times.

C.L. Fornari is the author of eight books, and the host of GardenLine on WXTK. She is a frequent speaker to groups nationwide, including green industry meetings, businesses and audiences with green or black thumbs. C.L. has worked for a family-owned independent garden center for 28 years as a writer and educator, and her favorite time of year is when she can go into the garden and ask, “What’s for dinner?” C.L. grows hydrangeas, vegetables, flowers and other plants at Poison Ivy Acres on Cape Cod. Connect with her at https://www.GardenLady.com

In-person meetings are held the at the Tufts Administration Building, (TAB), 167 Holland Street, second floor, wheelchair accessible. Parking is available for a small fee, and the building is a ten-minute walk from the Davis Square MBTA stop.

All Somerville Garden Club meetings are free and open to the public. 7-9pm. The SGC has been informed that the entry doors to the TAB will be locked at 8pm, effective immediately, including on our meeting days. Please arrange your arrival times accordingly.