"We're not alone": How racism can exist in entomology – and how we can change it
Our story this week on the podcast is very much a product of this current moment in American history, in which race and racism are at the front of all of our minds. It’s a story about acknowledging and addressing the disparities that exist for people of color in the field of entomology – and in science generally.
In this episode we’re talking with Dr. Jessica Ware and Ph.D. candidate Stephanita Sallqa Tuwa BondocGawa MaflaMills. They are both members of Entomologists of Color, a group that’s seeking to improve the participation and experience of people of color in entomology through a very specific initiative: increasing their participation of in scientific societies.
We talk about this initiative, but we also talk about Jessica and Stephanie’s experiences as women of color in science, and some of the things that all of us can do to be part of the solution.
The Bee Report podcast is available on Apple, Stitcher, other major platforms and at thebeereport.buzzsprout.com. This week’s episode will drop by 5 pm EST today (seriously, 5 pm… I’m pretty sure).
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Conservation
Conservation charity aims to create bee-friendly corridors to save insects from extinction
(The Guardian) Conservation charity Buglife hopes to help restore and create at least 150,000 hectares of wildflower pathways with the launch of its B-lines network for England. B-Lines are a strategically mapped network of existing and potential wildflower habitats that criss-cross the country. The 3 km-wide corridors stretch from the coast to the countryside, towns, and cities, covering a total of about 48,000 sq. kilometers of England.
Policy/Law
Even during pandemic beekeeping remains an essential service
(AP) For the past five years, the D.C. Beekeepers Alliance has responded to calls from residents about bee swarms. These beekeepers call themselves the “Swarm Squad” and will come to all areas of the region to take away unwanted bees and give them a home. When district officials began looking at the possibility of shutting down the city due to the coronavirus outbreak, the group’s president reached out to her contact at the D.C. Department of Energy & Environment. “I called up our regulators and said essentially, ‘If we’re going to catch swarms we need to not be arrested.’”
Trump administration rescinds rule on foreign students
(AP) The Trump administration has rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer schools or leave the country if their colleges hold classes entirely online this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the decision as a court hearing was getting underway on a challenge to the rule by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Science
About 94% of wild bee and native plant species networks lost
(York University) Researchers have found that climate change and an increase in disturbed bee habitats from expanding agriculture and development in northeastern North America over the last 30 years are likely responsible for a 94% loss of plant-pollinator networks. The researchers looked at plant-pollinator networks from 125 years ago through present day. The networks are comprised of wild bees and the native plants they historically rely on, although most of those have now been disrupted.
Are pollinators at risk from road pollution and being hit by vehicles?
(Twitter, Ben Phillips @ben_phi11ips) “Road verges are often comparable to other grasslands, so can be managed as such. BUT... Pollinators in road verges are also exposed to pollution, roadkill etc. so we need a specific assessment of if/how we should best use them. We reviewed 140 studies to answer the following Qs...”
Native bees also facing novel pandemic
(University of Colorado at Boulder) While it's been documented across three continents, the fungal pathogen known as Nosema has almost exclusively been studied and recorded only in the European honey bee. Almost nothing is known about the impact of this pathogen on native, solitary bees Without knowing how Nosema is affecting native, solitary bees, a whole pandemic and its ecological consequences could be going on unnoticed.
More pollinator species enhances pollination in urban gardens
(Twitter, Hamutajl Cohen @BeeScientista) “We found that having a greater number of pollinator species enhances pollination in urban gardens, but this relationship depends on gardeners planting more flowers!”
Automated insect identification with AI?
(Twitter, British Ecological Society @BritishEcolSoc) “In research published today in @MethodsEcolEvol, @tokehoye et al. describe a robot‐enabled image‐based identification machine, which can automatically identify, sort and estimate the biomass of invertebrates”
Society/Culture
Aggressive bees close Joshua Tree campground
(Los Angeles Times) Rangers at Joshua Tree National Park have shut down the popular Jumbo Rocks Campground “due to aggressive honey bee activity.” The bee situation is unusual, but not completely surprising. In fact, scientists have estimated that there are hundreds of bee species in the park and a swarm forced temporary closure of the park’s Keys View overlook a year ago.
Entomology journal wins award for redesign
(Twitter, Entomological Society of America, @EntsocAmerica) “.@EntsocAmerica is pleased to share that American Entomologist has won a Gold Excel Award from Association Media & Publishing for the magazine's redesign in 2019.”
One More Thing…
GOOOOOAL! A couple quick videos (one in slo-mo) from Olli Loukola @LoukolaOlli, showing bumble bees trained to move a ball to a given location. Cognitive flexibility, learning through observation, tool use and mad skills on the pitch...