Lunch with a Scientist – Roadside Pollinators

Topic: Roadsides as habitat for insect pollinators: salty traps or amazing conservation opportunity?
Presented by: Emilie Snell-Rood, faculty member in the U of MN’s Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior

Join life-long learners virtually for a monthly lunch and learn series at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (East Bethel, MN). Bring your lunch and hunger for knowledge, we will provide the brain food! This month, Dr. Emilie Snell-Rood will discuss a series of studies on the nutrition of roadside plants for monarchs and bumblebees. Roadsides offer millions of acres of potential habitat, but also accumulate salts, metals and pesticides. Her lab’s research at Cedar Creek and elsewhere suggests that prioritizing certain roads for restoration can maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of roadside habitat.

The speaker will give a 45-60 minute general audience lecture, then will answer questions from participants using a zoom webinar format. A short registration process is required to virtually attend the webinar, so plan to spend 5-10 minutes ahead of the program making sure you are correctly signed up at z.umn.edu/LWASonline! A list of topics and speakers for the year is available at https://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/lwas