ENT1909: Bees: Ecology, Health, and Conservation of Diverse Pollinators

Humans are largely aware that bees are declining globally, due in large part to human land use, agricultural practices, and the changing climate. The loss of insect pollinators, including native and honeybees, presents a grand challenge that will have cascading effects throughout ecological systems and human food crop systems. Preservation of pollination services is not only an environmental issue, but it is also an important challenge facing our society and world. How we, as a society, choose to address this problem will reflect on how we value the environment and the services it provides. This course is designed to reflect on the shared sense of responsibility for building a community that will address this issue. Intended audience: Undergraduates who may or may not be majoring within the sciences. Students who are interested in how humans interact with the environment and how the choices we make as a society impact environmental processes. No prerequisite courses required. This is a freshman seminar course/for freshmen only. This course is taught by Dr. Elaine Evans, a University of Minnesota Extension Educator and Researcher working on pollinator education and research relating to bee conservation. After completing an M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Minnesota, Elaine has worked to monitor pollinators, improve the impact of pollinator habitat, raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, provide action steps for pollinator conservation, and connect people and pollinators. Read more in Elaine?s books ?Befriending Bumble Bees: A Guide to Raising Local Bumble Bees? and ?Managing Alternative Pollinators.?

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