[CEC] Cambridge Entomological Club Meeting Next Tuesday

[Angier, Katherine]

Next Tuesday! CEC Meeting

Date: Tuesday, May 9th, 7:30 PM EST

Location: In Person in MCZ 101, on Zoom at https://harvard.zoom.us/j/92664403460?pwd=MEJGMmxrT1JHNGVjOFo3bzluR3JqZz09

This week we will have two talks!  We will also be holding ELECTIONS! So last chance to nominate people, and come next week ready to vote.

Title: “Effects of Nutrient Enrichment and Rainfall on Pollinator Nutrition”

Speaker: Jessie Thuma (Tufts, CEC President!)

Summary: Wild pollinators are critical to maintaining ecosystem services and facilitating crop production, but habitat degradation and resource loss are leading to worldwide pollinator declines. Nutrient enrichment and changes in rainfall due to global warming are drivers of global environmental change, and likely to impact pollinator foraging behavior and reproductive success through changes to the growth and phenology of flowering plants. Using bumble bees and their interaction with late season flowering plants, I will be talking about how the timing of bloom changes with fertilizer and rainfall input, and how this may impact food availability for bumble bees at an important life stage. Alongside changes in bloom time, flower quality may also change to impact bumble bee foraging preferences. These findings carry important implications for growers and land managers, providing insight into potential drivers of wild pollinator decline and possible conservation strategies.

Title: "The History, Mission, and Evolution of the Cambridge Entomological Club"

Speaker: Scott Smyers (CEC board member and Oxbow Associates, Inc.)

Summary: The Cambridge Entomological Club was founded in 1874 and is the third oldest entomological society in North America. The Club published Psyche from 1874-1995, which remains an entomological journal published online by an international publisher. The Club has hosted field outings around New England, co-hosted outings with other regional entomological societies, participated in public outreach, and has provided over 1,200 lectures at Harvard University. I will discuss how the Club has evolved over the years, how to encourage existing members to volunteer for specific projects, and how to attract new members.

NOTICE: We will be holding hybrid meetings to accommodate COVID-19 precautions and audience members from around the world.

For those able to attend, we will have an informal dinner at 6:00 pm at Cambridge Common Restaurant with the speaker, followed by our formal meeting (7:30 - 9:00 pm) in room MCZ101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (there will be signs to help direct). The meeting will begin with club announcements, followed by a 60-minute presentation by the invited speaker and Q&A. Membership is open to amateur and professional entomologists.

INFORMATION ON PAYING DUES: Annual dues are $5 for students and $25 for everyone else. They can be paid by cash or check at the meetings, or by Venmo, to Treasurer John Shetterly (venmo John-Shetterly-2). Thank you!