The “Burbs and the Bees”: Pollinators in Denver’s suburban landscapeBy Sarah Jack Hinners, PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder
The Denver area is home to well over 100 species of wild native bees that provide valuable pollination services to wild plant communities, crops and gardens. This region is undergoing rapid land use change as the suburbs spread across the landscape. What are the ecological consequences of this change for our local bee community? While native habitat is certainly lost, suburban residential areas are floristically diverse and may provide resources to sustain a healthy community of pollinators. Dr. Hinners will present results from her research on the ecology of Denver’s suburban bees and discuss the roles of native versus alien habitat in this landscape. She will also introduce some of our local wild bee species and their ecological habits and requirements.
Dr. Sarah Hinners is a recent graduate of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at CU Boulder. She is currently a researcher and instructor at CU Boulder.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Denver Botanic Gardens – Morrison Center
6:30 – 8 p.m.