Insects are enormously important as food for other organisms (birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, etc.) and many insect populations are in decline. We need a lot of insects for healthy ecosystems. Join us as we explore the suspected causes of massive insect declines and what we can do to help.

We’ll hear about current bee and flower research at URI and the “forgotten pollinators”. You will come away with recommendations for pollinator plants to help the yellow bumble bee, monarch butterflies, and other pollinators and insects.

Our Speaker Steven Alm is professor of entomology at URI, with B.S. and M. S. degrees from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. His current research is focused on surveying the native bees of Rhode Island, and selecting and establishing pollinator habitat to conserve native bees.