To celebrate the United Nations' World Bee Day, researchers from the University of New England (UNE) will be joined by members of the National Parks and Wildlife Service at the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre on Wednesday 17 May to give a series of talks about the importance of plants and pollinators.
UNE academics and PhD candidates will deliver presentations on topics such as how flowers become fruit, the role of bats in the pollination process, what plants should we grow to attract pollinators, and how a changing climate might impact pollination of plants.
Associate Professor Romina Rader, who is a pollination ecologist at UNE, says it will be a fantastic opportunity for the community to come together and learn more about the role that bees and other pollinators play in putting our food on the table.
“Not only will this be a chance to celebrate how plants and insects work together to feed our nation, but it will also shed some light on some of the important, ground-breaking research that’s happening right now at UNE – especially in the wake of last year’s varroa mite outbreak, which has seen research on alternative pollinators become more relevant than ever,” she says.
“Many people don’t realise just how crucial bees and other insects, such as flies, are to our ecological and agricultural systems. Without these insects, our supermarket shelves would look very different!”
Education Ranger Jane Grebert from the National Parks and Wildlife Service North Coast Branch says it will be a rare chance to educate the public more broadly on this important topic.
‘’National Parks and Wildlife Education North Coast are excited to be partnering with UNE for these public talks for science, to strengthen the confidence of students in effectively communicating their research to the broader community, and to improve scientific literacy more generally.”
Tickets are free, and can be reserved here for the morning session, or here for the afternoon session (please note, spaces are limited). For those unable to be there in person, the sessions will be recorded and made available after the event.
Event details:
Morning session –10:30am to 12:30pm at the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre
How does a flower become a fruit? The fascinating story ofpollen transfer, pollen diversity, pollination and plantreproduction. Karen Santos
How many different types of native bees are there and what do they do with all the nectar and pollen? Carolyn Sonter
How many different types of native flies do we have and what is their role in pollination? Blake Dawson
What services are provided by bats and which insects do they eat? Heidi Kolkert and Fritzie Camino
How will a changing climate potentially affect pollination of plants? Angus Dingley
Different insects visit different flowers - What does this mean for choice of garden plants to support pollinators? Lena Schmidt
Afternoon session – 1:30pm to 3:30pm at the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre
To bee or not to be - bees, flies and wasps – a quick introduction to their field identification, and ecology. Jeremy Jones
Flower visiting flies and other pollinators of raspberry flowers - Jelena Preradovic and Pia Malm
What habitats do insects need? Abby Davis
Insectageddon – what are the current threats to insects and what might the implications of a world with less insects? David Perovic
What do pollinating animals need in our landscapes to stay healthy? Romina Rader
