Institutional Communications
Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137
Laramie
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-2929
Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu
Contributions made by pollinators, such as bees and hummingbirds, will be discussed during a series of Pollinator Week talks June 15-18 at the outdoor south deck of the University of Wyoming Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center located at Lewis and 10th streets.
“Pollinators are some of the planet’s most essential critters,” says Brenna Marsicek, UW Biodiversity Institute project coordinator. “Without them, we wouldn’t have many of the fruits and vegetables, medicines, fibers and other items we enjoy.”
She says pollinators are a group of organisms (bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, flies, beetles and others) that are critical to the process of plant reproduction, fruit and vegetable production and, in many cases, agricultural success. Crops such as alfalfa, sugar beets, sunflowers, beans and potatoes are entirely or largely reliant on insects for a successful yield.
“Domestic gardens, which citizens across Wyoming use to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables for consumption, cannot produce without pollinators,” Marsicek adds.
All of the programs will begin at 5 p.m. The Pollinator Week schedule is:
Monday, June 15 -- “Laramie’s Butterflies,” Brian Barber, UW Biodiversity Institute.
Tuesday, June 16 -- “Laramie’s Hummingbirds,” Beth Wommack, UW Museum of Vertebrates.
Wednesday, June 17 -- “Laramie’s Bees,” Christy Bell, recognized bee expert.
Thursday, June 18 -- “Gardening for Pollinators” plus a garden tour, Jodi Guerin, local gardener.
Additionally, it is the last week to view the “Pollinators and Their Habitats” photo exhibition on display through Friday, June 19, in the Berry Center atrium. Close-up photos capture the diverse world of pollinators and the flowers they prefer.
Institutional Communications
Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137
Laramie
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-2929
Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu