Join Dr. Robert Gegear to learn how ecological data collected by his 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 New England. The talk 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 webapp with automated butterfly and plant ID functions powered by iNaturalist in Spring 2022. The 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.

Sponsored by Edible Watertown, a project of the Watertown Public Arts & Culture Committee.

About Dr. Gegeear:

Robert J. Gegear is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at UMass Dartmouth. He received his PhD from Western University in Canada and was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto (Canada) and in the Department of Neurobiology at UMASS Medical School. His research integrates concepts and methodologies from evolutionary ecology, psychology, neurobiology, molecular biology, and computer science to gain insight into the functioning and conservation of plant-pollinator systems. In 2018, he was given the Regional Impact Award by the Native Plant Trust (formerly New England Wildflower Society) for his Beecology Citizen Science Project, which aims to accelerate biodiversity conservation efforts in New England.