Insect Pollinators in Our Gardens Plants & Pollinators Specalization

Plants & Pollinators Specialization

Fee: $50

This course is designed to allow participants to evaluate plant-insect interactions in gardens from an ecological perspective. For instance, we will be focusing on the importance of maintaining plant and insect pollinator diversity and on the ecological factors that may influence this outcome. Among the factors that will be discussed in this course are the role of disease and pesticides on pollinator’s survival and how these factors could interact with plant species and produce certain outcomes.

By the end of this 4-hour course, participants will be able to:

• Provide a rationale as to why species richness and diversity are important to gardens
• Evaluate the effects of human interventions on pollinators
• Communicate scientific ideas regarding some of the challenges insect pollinators face in the gardens
• Design a garden using an ecological perspective to maximize pollinator species richness and diversity

This course consists of two, two-hour live sessions each, and a self-paced short garden observation activity with a reflection in between sessions.

• Part 1 – Basic ecological concepts related to diversity, examples and an exercise. Discussion of the garden characteristics that support diversity. Zoom session June 8, 6:00 – 8:00 PM.
• Part 2 – Discussion of the role of disease and pesticides on pollinators using monarchs as a case study. Zoom session June 15, 6:00 – 8:00 PM.