Keystone Canids, Feisty Hungry Birds, and Fostering Bumblebees for Science!

How are wolves capable of helping a whole ecosystem? Do hummingbirds actually benefit from the plants that you're growing for them? Want to help science learn more about bumblebees by hosting them in your yard? Come find out at this month’s Nature Nerds!

• What’s the Deal with Wolves in California? | Myths, Expectations, and the Reality of Canid Conservation: Why did wolves leave California? And how they did they make their return? Come find out the details on how we should be welcoming this keystone species into our spaces and how and why wolves can encourage native plant and animal populations. Get insight into the way they can be used to reduce emergent wildlife diseases and bust some myths about livestock interactions.
  Dr. Anna Doty, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at California State University, Sacramento, is a wildlife biologist for the nonprofit organization Women for Wolves

• Hummingbird Snacks or Nah?: Comparing Native and Exotic Plant Species as Hummingbird Resources in California: Are cultivars and exotic plants an ecological trap for hummingbirds? These little charismatic garden visitors have some strong preferences for certain colors and shapes of flowers, but does it matter if it’s a native plant? How about a cultivar? Get some insight into what we might want to consider as the climate is changes and we plan our gardens accordingly.
  Bucky Squire, Ecologist at UC Davis, where he is pursuing his PhD

• Smart Bumblebee Queens Need Homes: Cognition, Pesticides, and Urban Nest Success: Have you ever considered fostering some bumblebees to help advance scientific understanding of what do bumblebees need to learn and remember? Maybe you should! Come learn about the bumblebee life cycle and why queens are so cool! Get some insights into queen bumblebee cognition across life stages and find out how you can help collect data by hosting a nest box in your yard!
  Melanie Kimball, postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis

Tickets available at eventbrite