by Don Corrigan
You can deepen your understanding of pollinators and their pivotal role in our ecosystem when Nicole Miller-Struttmann showcases community efforts to assist our buzzing bee friends at Webster Groves Public Library.
Her program is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4, at 7 p.m. at the library. Miller-Struttmann is an associate professor of biology at Webster University and has a special interest in pollinators.
She will explain how you can support pollinators in your own back yard. Whether you’re a nature lover or looking to make a positive ecological impact, this talk will offer practical tips on the work of or pollinator friends in Webster Groves and beyond.
Miller-Struttmann grew up in Webster Groves and became interested in nature at an early age. Her parents were gardeners and were also very interested in being “green” and protecting the environment.
She said her parents’ influence led her to becoming an ecologist, and as a graduate student she won a student scholarship from the Webster Groves Nature Study Society. She went on to receive a doctorate at Washington University.
“I am very pleased to report that one of my own students, Esha Vij, has received a scholarship from the Webster Groves Nature Study Society,” said Miller-Struttmann. “It’s wonderful to have that local resource.”
After receiving her advanced degrees, Miller-Struttmann did her post-doctorate work on wild bees. She realized that the flighty critters could become her life’s work.
“Wild bees are different than the honey bees that most people know and talk about,” said Miller-Struttmann. “People know about honey bees because we rely on them for honey and to pollinate agricultural crops.“Wild bees are generally smaller, although large carpenter bees are wild bees. A lot of people are familiar with them,” Miller-Struttmann explained. “The wild bees suffer from a loss of habitat and exposure to pesticides.”
According to Miller-Struttmann, wild bees are very important as pollinator insects for orchards in the Missouri-Illinois area. Interestingly enough, the wild bees seem to be doing better in urban areas than in rural areas.
The Webster University professor said rural areas are not so “natural” anymore. Farming practices and chemical spraying in rural areas have made those habitats less friendly to wild bees.
“We have more than 200 species of wild bees in the St. Louis region,” said Miller-Struttmann. “They do especially well in North St. Louis, where the vegetation often is not cut back, and there isn’t as much use of herbicides and insecticides.”
Miller-Struttmann’s presentation is the fourth in a monthly series of free “Eco-Ed” ecology education sessions. Volunteers with two Webster Groves city commissions joined hands to put the series together for area residents.
After a brief hiatus in July and August, the “Eco-Ed” series will pick up in the fall with two more sessions. A Sept. 3 meeting is titled: “The Results are in: Webster Groves Greenhouse Gas Inventory.”
The session on the inventory program will be presented by Sharon Locke, professor of environmental sciences at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville; and by Shawn Finnegan, who serves as sustainability coordinator for Webster Groves.
Webster Groves has enlisted SIU-Edwardsville to conduct a Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHG) for the city. A GHG is a comprehensive assessment of the amount of greenhouse gases a community emits within its boundaries.
The final “Eco-Ed” session is slated for Oct. 1 and is titled, “Watershed Wander: Shady Creek Discovery,” conducted by David Wilson. He will lead an eye-opening walking tour of the Shady Creek Watershed in Larson Park.
Environmental Echo 