PolliNation

PolliNation is a podcast from Oregon State University Extension Service that tells the stories of researchers, land managers and concerned citizens who are making bold strides to improve the health of pollinators.

273 - European Mason Bees in America 11/25/2024

273 - European Mason Bees in America Michael Getz, a master's student here at Oregon State University, joins us this week on PolliNation to discuss his new paper on the recent introduction of the European Mason bee (Osmia cornuta) to British Columbia, Canada. Using computer vision technology he was able to identify Mason bee cocoons and model the bee's spread across North America. Learn more about Michael's research here: /episode/index/show/pollination/id/33935277

272 - The Milwaukee Pollinator Pathway 10/28/2024

272 - The Milwaukee Pollinator Pathway What does it take to create a certified pollinator pathway? This week on PolliNation, Colleen Rockwell, the Environmental Committee Chair for Milwaukie's Rotary Club, shares how Milwaukie became only the second certified pollinator pathway in Oregon. Learn more about the Pollinator Pathway in Milwaukie here: https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/towns/milwaukie Also, if you are interested in the fundraiser in Portland for the Oregon Bee Atlas, register here: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/master-melittologist/events/bees-bottles-biodiversity-fundraiser-oregon-bee-atlas /episode/index/show/pollination/id/33605287

271 - The MIGHTY Tamalpais Bee Lab 10/17/2024

271 - The MIGHTY Tamalpais Bee Lab The last record of the Leafcutter Bee (Trachusa gummifera) in Marin County was in 1977. That is, until the One Tam Community Science Program had a documented sighting of it nearly 47 years later. This week we hear from Sara Leon Guerrero, a manager of the One Tam Community Science Program through the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Sara tells us how One Tam is leading the way in bridging ecological data gaps, implementing long-term monitoring efforts, and fostering curiosity and community participation. Learn more about the Tamalpais Bee Lab here: https://www.onetam.org/tamalpais-bee-lab /episode/index/show/pollination/id/33472287

270 - Mason Bees and the Cold 10/14/2024

270 - Mason Bees and the Cold What happens to Mason bees after a number of consecutive cold days? Let's say a female lays an egg. What happens to it? Does it die? This week on PolliNation we welcome back Dr. Jim Cane and Ron Spendal to discuss their new paper "Eggs of the bee Osmia lignaria endure weeks of prolonged cold weather" /episode/index/show/pollination/id/33411277

269 - Bees in the Arboretum 10/07/2024

269 - Bees in the Arboretum This week we explore Minnesota's Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center through the University of Minnesota's Landscape Arboretum. Ping Honzay, an educator and beekeeper at the Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center, discusses the innovative programs that engage the community and highlight the importance of pollinators. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/33270657

268 - Birds and Flowers 09/30/2024

268 - Birds and Flowers Everyone knows that hummingbirds visit flowers. But have you ever wondered how many other kinds of birds visit flowers and how important are they to the overall pollination ecology of flowering plants? This week we hear from Dr. Jeff Ollerton on his new book "Birds and Flowers: An Intimate 50 Million Year Relationship" https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/birds-and-flowers /episode/index/show/pollination/id/33264547

266 - Farm to school (and pollinators) 09/22/2024

266 - Farm to school (and pollinators) This week we hear about Oregon's Farm to School program and how it helps make the connection between Oregon agriculture and pollinators in the classroom. We are joined by Rick Sherman (Farm to Child Nutrition Program Manager at the Oregon Department of Education) and Michelle Markesteyn (Farm to School Specialist at Oregon State University Extension), who also host a great podcast (available on YouTube, Spotify and iTunes). /episode/index/show/pollination/id/33160037

265 - Oregon Honey and Mead Festival 09/13/2024

265 - Oregon Honey and Mead Festival This week we talk about the upcoming (Sept 21, 2024) Oregon Honey and Mead Festival with organizer Sharon Schmidt (Cascade Girl Organization) and Marla Bull Bear, one of the presenters who is the Director, Lakota Youth Development and Honey Lodge Program. Details on this year's festival can be found at: https://www.cascadegirl.org /episode/index/show/pollination/id/33041082

264 - Could changes in pesticide hazard to bees be detected across a state? 08/31/2024

264 - Could changes in pesticide hazard to bees be detected across a state? Bees are exposed to pesticide hazards in a variety of ways. Estimating how hazards to bees are changing over time, across an area as large as a state, is a daunting prospect. This week we hear about an attempt to estimate changes in hazards in a new paper by Dr. Emily Carlson, a recent PhD student from Oregon State University. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/32819957

263 - National Pollen Phenology Wheel 08/19/2024

263 - National Pollen Phenology Wheel Beekeepers often have a sense of periods of intense nectar flows, but it is a lot more difficult to assess pollen flows. In this episode we talk with Priya Chakrabarti Basu from Mississippi State University who talks about a new initiative to provide beekeepers with a better sense of the pollen flows of their region. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/32523167

262 - Buddleja and the bees 08/12/2024

262 - Buddleja and the bees Butterfly bush is a hardy shrub that pollinators love. But under certain situations it can become invasive, which has led to laws to limit the sale to sterile varieties and interspecific hybrids. But there is a question of whether the hybrids are really sterile and whether sterility impacts the benefits to bees. We get answers to these questions this week with Cara Stills, from the Ornamental Plant Breeding Program at Oregon State University. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/32523137

261 - Making observations on ground nesting bees 07/13/2024

261 - Making observations on ground nesting bees While roughly 70% of bee species are ground nesting, we know very little about the nesting biology of anything more than a handful of species. In this episode we hear from Dr. Jordan Kueneman and his project GNBees to generate more data from the public. Dr. Jordan Kueneman is a research scientist and director of Project GNBee, a community science project dedicated to research and conservation of ground-nesting bees. Web page: https://www.gnbee.org/ iNaturalist Project: Instagram: Youtube: Facebook: Ground-Nesting Bee Crew Book recommendation: The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, Conservation Go-to-tool: Michener CD. The bees of the world. JHU press; 2000. Favorite pollinator species: Andrena regularis /episode/index/show/pollination/id/32124042

260 - Hornet invasion in the UK (and how they are fighting back) 05/20/2024

260 - Hornet invasion in the UK (and how they are fighting back) The Yellow-Legged Hornet has landed in the US southeast. The hornet is originally from Asia, but is has spread widely into Europe. This week we hear from Maggie Gill, a senior scientist with the National Bee Unit in the UK tells about the innovative methods developed in the UK to track and erradicate these hornets. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/31377617

259 - Washington State Update (so much news) 04/21/2024

259 - Washington State Update (so much news) This episode we catch up with Katie Buckley the Pollinator Health Coordinator for Washington State Department of Agriculture. She tells us about two new pollinator bills that passed in the Washington Legislature, as well as the growing Washington Bee Atlas. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/30908803

258 - Tillamook Apiary and Garden Learning Center (aka there is more to Tillamook than cheese) 04/01/2024

258 - Tillamook Apiary and Garden Learning Center (aka there is more to Tillamook than cheese) This week we hear about a remarkable initiative in Tillamook, Oregon. Known for its world famous dairy, its home to an industrious beekeeping club that is providing top-notch education to the region (and the thousands of people who come through it each summer). /episode/index/show/pollination/id/30618023

257 - Lotmaria... the bee gut organism you have never heard of 03/10/2024

257 - Lotmaria... the bee gut organism you have never heard of Adult honey bees have a variety of organisms that live in their guts. Some are benign but some, like Nosema ceranae, can be pathogentic. In this episode we hear of Courtney MacInnis' relentless pursuit of understanding the status of an organism you have never heard of - Lotmaria passim - both on its own, and in combination with Nosema ceranae. Her findings are most unexpected. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/30312033

256 - Backyard Habitat Certification 02/19/2024

256 - Backyard Habitat Certification In this episode we hear from Susie Peterson who is the co-manager of the very popular Backyard Habitat Certification Program in Oregon. The program is managed in partnership with Portland Audubon and can help you better design your backyard for biodiversity. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/30019248

255 - Stay out! The perils of commercial bumble colonies to wild queens. 02/05/2024

255 - Stay out! The perils of commercial bumble colonies to wild queens. Bumble bee queens have been known to try and take over already established nests. Sometimes they manage to take over the nest and increase their own reproductive success. But according to new research from Heather Grab this is not what happens when a wild bumble bee queen tries to take over a commercial bumble bee colony. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/29797888

254 - Restoring Pollinator Habitat with Greenbelt Land Trust 01/22/2024

254 - Restoring Pollinator Habitat with Greenbelt Land Trust Land Trusts punch above their weight in creating pollinator habitat. In this episode we talk with Greenbelt Land Trust of some of their innovative methods for restoring pollinator habitat on a working farm. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/29588513

253 - Bee Friendly Farming in the PNW 12/11/2023

253 - Bee Friendly Farming in the PNW Bee Friendly Farming is an initiative to certify agricultural production for taking steps to help bees. This week we hear about the expansion of the program to the Pacific Northwest, specifically with regards to wine grapes. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/29015688

252 - Maximizing pollination potential in cherries 11/27/2023

252 - Maximizing pollination potential in cherries Bees are just one part of maximizing cherry yield. Before the bees arrive, cherries have to be pruned properly and given the right nutrition. Also, bee attractive cover crops can help rejuvinate the soil before replanting. We hear about all the tricks to maximizing pollination success in cherries from Mike Omeg of Orchard View Cherries. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/28767318

251 - Surveying for American foulbrood in honey 11/12/2023

251 - Surveying for American foulbrood in honey American foulbrood (AFB) is one of the most damaging diseases of honey bees. Up until now, beekeepers have lacked an early warning system to know whether the disease is rising in their colonies. In this episode we hear from Dr. Sarah Wood about an innovative system for surveying for AFB in honey, /episode/index/show/pollination/id/28605453

250 - Garden bees of Portland 10/30/2023

250 - Garden bees of Portland Have you ever wondered which fuzzy yellow bee you just saw visiting a flower? In this episode, guest host Jen Hayes interviews Nicole Bell about two new and free resources that explore 67 species of bees found in Portland area gardens. Jen and Nicole are both graduate student members of OSU's Garden Ecology Lab. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/28431935

249 - How to buy a native plant 10/23/2023

249 - How to buy a native plant As nursery catalogs start to show up in our mailboxes and we think about the plants we want to grow next season, it's easy to get overwhelmed. In this episode, guest host Nicole Bell talks with Jen Hayes about two handouts that can help you better understand plant labels and discover if the plant in front of you is a wild-type native plant, a cultivar, or some other plant form! Jen and Nicole are both graduate student members of OSU's Garden Ecology Lab. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/28384031

248 - The art of pollination 10/18/2023

248 - The art of pollination This week we hear a facinating conversation between an established mutimedia artist (Jasna Guy) and young artist and melittologist (Marek Stanton) on how art, ecology and the natural world overlap. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/28360862

247 - Too hot for pollen? 10/09/2023

247 - Too hot for pollen? There have been extreme temperatures during the pollination of early season crops. In this episode we explore how these temperatures not only influence the activity of pollinating insects, but also the pollen they are shuttling around. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/28261043

246 - Prairie Strips 09/25/2023

246 - Prairie Strips Prairie ecosystems are essential to many pollinator species across North America. Generating prairie after its been lost can be challenging. This week we travel to Iowa to hear from the STRIPS (Science-based Trails of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips) team. They have been perfecting how to get growers to install prairie strips on the edges of their farms. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/28129517

245 - Bee Friendly Gardening with Elliott Gordon 09/18/2023

245 - Bee Friendly Gardening with Elliott Gordon We continue on our bee friendly gardening kick with a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico to hear how one naturalist transformed his front yard into biodiversity hotspot. Using tools like iNaturalist, he has documented over 90 bee species and 1,200 other insects on less than a quarter acre of land. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/28053567

244 - Bee Friendly Gardening with Lynn Kunstman 09/11/2023

244 - Bee Friendly Gardening with Lynn Kunstman This week we continue our September on Bee Friendly Gardening with a southern Oregon Master Gardener who has a passion for native plants. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/27984756

243 - Bee Friendly Gardening 09/03/2023

243 - Bee Friendly Gardening With the season for pollinator gardening winds down, it is a great time to start planning your garden for next year. In this episode we we learn about a national program to connect gardeners together and provide them with resources to up their pollinator gardener game. /episode/index/show/pollination/id/27926145

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