Overview
Pollinator populations across the country have been experiencing significant losses, threatening biodiversity, agriculture and food chains. The state of Michigan alone has seen a 61% drop in its bee population over the span of 15 years. A team of masters students at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability is aiming to raise awareness for pollinator conservation and enhance pollinator habitats on campus.
Thanks in part to the work of the team, dubbed “SEAS Bees,” the University was officially designated a bee-friendly campus in December by Bee Campus USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, which recognizes colleges and universities practicing sustainable pollinator conservation across the country.
The SEAS Bees team has worked on a number of pollinator projects, such as developing a habitat-quality assessment tool and installing a new pollinator-friendly garden next to the Museum of Natural History. The University reached also reached its 2025 goal to apply 40% fewer chemicals to campus landscapes three years ahead of schedule. Currently, 80% of the fertilizer used on campus is organic.
Maxwell Klein, president of the UM Entomology Club, said the continued use of synthetic herbicides on green spaces across campus — even at lower levels — causes entire colonies of pollinators to die, making it more challenging to foster spaces for native plant species. According to Klein, investing in organically managed plots of land will reduce habitat fragmentation of pollinator populations.
About Dr. Sheila Schueller
Dr. Sheila Schueller teaches as a Lecturer in Ecosystem Science and Management courses, including the core field-based ecology course for incoming master’s students (EAS 509) and the Master’s Project 3-term Theme Course: Conservation and Restoration (EAS 701.376). She completed her M.S. and Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan and previously served as Assistant Director of the Ecosystem Management Initiative in SEAS and as an instructional consultant for the UM Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. She has been teaching ecology and field biology courses since 2002, both at U of M and at Eastern Michigan University, and also worked for several years as an adaptive management consultant, developing practical guides and facilitating workshops on evaluation and monitoring for conservation organizations across the country. Her research background is in plant-animal interactions, especially the pollination and seed dispersal of invasive plants, and she advises student research on how managed and built environments (from farms to native landscaping to suburban forests) support biodiversity and ecosystem function and services. In teaching she seeks to integrate student research and field work with the real-world data needs of natural resource planners and managers.
Transcription
David Fair: This is 89 one WEMU, and I'd like to welcome you to another edition of Issues of the Environment. With spring underway and the full bloom season approaching, it's a time in which we can be grateful for rejuvenation and beauty. I'm David Fair, and, as you know, it's about much more than just beauty, though there is planting and harvesting, and an entire agricultural industry begins to hit its full stride. It brings us our food and sustenance, and proliferation and preservation of our natural resources is vital as we continue to work against the climate crisis. Bees are among our greatest pollinators, and populations have been devastated across the country. There are a variety of ways in which that issue is being addressed, and one of them is centered at the University of Michigan. U of M has been officially designated a "bee-friendly" campus. Now, how did that come about, and what impact can that make? We're going to find out together from our guest. Dr. Sheila Schueller is a lecturer at the U of M School for Environment and Sustainability and served as project advisor for the SEAS Bees team. It helped earn that designation. And thank you so much for the time today, Dr. Schueller.
Source: wemu.org
Categories: Michigan, General, Sustainable Agriculture