Pollinators A Plenty
McHenry County Conservation District • 18410 US Highway 14 Woodstock, IL 60098-8836 Organized by McHenry County Conservation DistrictAbout this event
Description
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Learn about local research on pollinators of the region during this virtual program. Two researchers will share their knowledge and interest of their research studies conducted locally, some right here in McHenry County! This will be held over Zoom. A link will be sent to registrants the day of the program.
Melissa Duda is a graduate student of the Plant Biology and Conservation program at Northwestern University/Chicago Botanic Garden and is studying the hybridization between Gentiana puberulenta and Gentiana andrewsii to identify the mechanisms responsible for limiting hybridization between the two species. One of these "mechanisms" is pollinators. She conducted pollinator observations to analyze the role of pollinators in hybridization. She wanted to see what pollinators (mostly bumble bees) visit both gentian species, as well as their hybrid, Gentiana x billingtonii. Additional pollinators she observed included leafcutter bees, sweat bees, and masked bees.
Biologist Alma C. Schrage will discuss current research by the United States Geological Survey focused on the endangered rusty-patched bumblebee that is ongoing in McHenry County and the greater Midwest. Alma is part of a research team that has focused on developing effective rapid survey methods for finding rusty-patched bumblebee in previously unrecorded locations, detecting rusty-patched bumblebee DNA on flowers, and testing the rollout of larger scale rapid monitoring of bumblebee communities in partnership with McHenry County Conservation District and other partners in the Chicago region.
Age Category
Just for Adults
Instructor
Christine Kustra