Speakers:

Dr. Jessica Forrest, University of Ottawa

Dr. Jeff Skevington, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

There are so many pollinators living among us! Many people know that honeybees and butterflies are pollinators, but they may not realize that there are hundreds of different types of native bees too. Other local pollinators include flies, moths, wasps, ants, beetles and even some birds. They will be hard at work again this spring and summer, and that’s good news for all the plants and animals (including humans) that rely on their services. The City invites residents to learn more about native pollinators, and why they are so important to us. This event includes displays by local environmental organizations and presentations by local researchers Dr. Jessica Forrest and Dr. Jeff Skevington. We hope you can join us!

About our guest speakers

Jessica Forrest is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Ottawa. She is interested in all aspects of the ecology and evolutionary biology of bees. Her lab conducts research on the factors limiting wild bee populations, the effects of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions, the role of wild bees in crop production, and the natural history of pollination (website). Dr. Forrest obtained her Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in 2011 and she has done field work in California, the Colorado Rocky Mountains, and the somewhat less mountainous but nevertheless interesting area around Ottawa.

Jeff Skevington is a lifelong naturalist and has been looking at insects and birds since he was about 7 years old. He is a Research Scientist and the Head of Diptera (flies) at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian National Collection of Insects in Ottawa. His focus there is on the taxonomy and phylogenetics of flower flies (Syrphidae) and big-headed flies (Pipunculidae). He has published over 100 scientific papers on these animals and trained a number of students through Carleton University, Trent University and University of Guelph where he serves as an Adjunct Professor. One of Jeff’s current projects, a ‘Field Guide to the Flower Flies (Hover Flies) of Northeastern North America’, is expected to be published by Princeton University Press about the time of this event, making this event a semi-official book launch.

If you have any questions about pollinating insects (or photos) feel free to bring them to share with Jeff and Jessica before or after the presentation. Jeff also has a passion for gardening with native plants to encourage native wildlife (including pollinators) so feel free to also come armed with questions about growing native plants.

For more information, contact:

Amy MacPherson, Planner

City of Ottawa

Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development

Email : amy.macpherson@ottawa.ca

613-580-2424, ext. 14873