This webinar is part of the Virginia Master Naturalist Continuing Education Webinar Series for volunteers.

Full Title: Pollinators in the woods? How wild bees nest and forage in trees and woody habitats, and what you can do to support them

Description: Did you know that there are over 4,000 different wild bee species in the United States? Most are solitary, don't live in hives, and don't even make honey. These wild, native pollinators have long evolutionary relationships with our beloved wildflowers and also provide important pollination services for many of our nutritious foods. We usually think of wild pollinating bees in our gardens and meadows, but that is not the only place they are found.  In fact, in the northeastern US, roughly one third of our wild bee species rely on forest habitats for some stage of their life cycle. Some are specialized to only collect pollen and nectar from spring ephemerals on the forest floor, others nest in rotting logs and in leaf litter deep in the woods, and others even use canopy pollen. Come join me for an adventure exploring how wild bees use the woods--from the leafy forest floor to the tippy top of the canopy. We will also discuss how forest management for healthy, diverse, climate-resilient forests -- and urban forests --  is crucial not just for birds, but also for the bees.

Presenter: Kass Urban-Mead, Ph.D. is the Mid-Atlantic Pollinator Conservation Specialist with The Xerces Society and an NRCS Partner Biologist. Her doctoral work at Cornell Entomology characterized the wild bees active in early spring temperate hardwood forests. She explored canopy tree pollen consumption by spring-flying bees, and how the movement of bees between forests and adjacent orchards supports pollination services. Prior to her PhD, she completed her Masters in Environmental Science at Yale School of Forestry.

Host: Michelle Prysby, Virginia Master Naturalist Program Director

Zoom Recording ID: 89511521328 UUID: fOM8xjX2RlSRlHeUTh8x0w== Meeting Time: 2023-04-07 03:41:45pmGMT