Native bees are Colorado’s most vulnerable pollinators, given their exceptional diversity, complex natural histories, and a lack of data on their current and historic distributions. However, increasingly, scientists are engaging the public in efforts to expand our knowledge of wild bee distributions and those communities are searching for new ways to contribute to bee conservation. In this talk, we will introduce you to the fascinating diversity of our native bees, explore why they are our most vulnerable pollinators, and discuss factors threatening native bees and how all of us can help conserve them through individual and community-driven action. Watch the Challenges in Conserving Colorado's Native Bees Webinar, recorded in April 2022, below:
Speaker: Dr. Adrian Carper Dr. Carper is a community ecologist and has studied pollinators, their natural history, and ecology for over a decade. His current research through the Museum of Natural History focuses on the impacts of human land-use on native bee community ecology, and how natural history knowledge can help inform their conservation. In CU's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, he focuses on butterflies, and the impacts of exotic plants on the chemical ecology of multitrophic interactions. Both avenues for research underscore why improving our understanding of biological communities is crucial to mitigate the impacts of human-induced environmental change.
Want to learn more? Get involved with People and Pollinators and find out about our upcoming webinars:
