FRIDAY 

June 25, 2021 | NOON-1:30PM PT/ 3:00PM-4:30PM ET

Pollinator Science: Monarch Biology and Bee Identification 101

Dr. Chip Taylor, internationally acclaimed Monarch Butterfly scientist, will teach us monarch biology,population trends, the role of climate change, and what you can do!

Chip Taylor is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas.

Trained as an insect ecologist, his research projects have included studies of reproductive isolating mechanisms in sulfur butterflies, reproductive and life history patterns in plants, comparative biology of European and Neotropical African honey bees (killer bees) and migratory behavior of monarch butterflies.

In 1992, Taylor founded Monarch Watch, an outreach program focused on education, research and conservation of monarch butterflies. The tagging program administered by Monarch Watch has yielded many new insights about the monarch migration.

Dr. Lora Morandin will teach us the basics of identifying bees.

Lora Morandin has been doing research on bees and pollination since 1997. She did a PhD at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia studying modern agriculture and pollinators, followed by post-doctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley working on enhancement of native pollinators and natural enemy insects through small-scale farm restoration.

Lora has co-authored books and book chapters, created outreach and technical guides, and has 30 peer-reviewed publications on pollinators and sustainable agriculture, including innovative work on economic benefits of ecosystem services.

She has consulted for government and industry on diverse ecological topics such as greenhouse coverings, seabird oiling from offshore oil and gas operations, and honey bee health research gaps.

One of her main interests is finding ways that human land-use, production, and conservation can co-exist for a healthy and sustainable environment.