Monday, June 27, 2022

Pollination Collaboration

 Selby Vaughn


The Primack lab is investigating which pollinators are visiting plants around Newton, MA in order to determine if honeybees are outcompeting native pollinators. This work has been influenced by ongoing public debates about the keeping of honeybees and how it may promote pollination.  

A bumblebee pollinates a sundrop flower.

On June 22nd, we met in Newton with bee experts, Robert Gegear from University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and Nick Dorian and his team from Tufts University, to learn from each other how to identify bumblebees and other species of native bees. 

The group collected and examined various bees to learn identification techniques.

The event included a lively discussion about the research of each lab group, and debates about the conservation value of pollinator gardens and other efforts to protect native pollinators.

A group photo taken in the Primacks' garden.


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