7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

The movement of pollen from stamen to stigma is a major issue for plants, and they cannot easily do it themselves. While bees are the first resource that comes to mind when pollination is mentioned, no ecosystem is simple; complexity demands multiple solutions to the issue. We will look at the various animals that interact with plants in this process, and discuss the expenditures, risks and compensations. You will go away with a better appreciation for one of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds: avoid pesticides.

About the Speaker: Val is a talented local naturalist specializing in the arthropods of the Austin area, with interests in taxonomy and photography. She contributes her not-to-be-missed photos to the Moth Photographers Group and BugGuide websites. Val runs the Fauna Project at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, leads insect discovery walks, teaches entomology courses such as the Butterfly ID class for Travis Audubon, provides insect/spider identifications, gives talks to local organizations, and is the author of pocket guides to “Butterflies of Central Texas,” “Unusual Insects of Texas” and “Spiders of Texas,” which you can find at your neighborhood grocery store. Her own website is Austin Bug Collection, http://www.austinbug.com/index.html

Couldn’t watch the live presentation? Watch the recording: