When it comes to pollination, honeybees get all the attention, but the vast majority of the work is credited to a diverse group of organisms that call New England home. There are over 300 species of native bees in Vermont alone, and they are responsible for pollinating ~80% of flowering plants and ~66% of our food crops. Not to mention dozens of species of butterflies, thousands of species of moths, myriad wasps, beetles, flies, birds, and microorganisms that all take part in the complex ecology of plant reproduction.

Reports of rapidly declining pollinator populations in recent decades have spurred a worldwide movement to restore habitat, promote biodiversity, and integrate pollinator conservation into urban, suburban, and agricultural areas. This course will provide an introduction to pollination ecology, an overview of the natural history of each major group of New England’s pollinators, and the skill sets needed to be a part of the solution including field methods and conservation strategies.