GREENFIELD — Members of the Greenfield Tree Committee recently pondered the role that trees play in the life of bees, and are inviting residents to learn more about the topic during a free talk by Joan Milam on Wednesday.
The event will start at 7 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 43 Silver St. in Greenfield. Greening Greenfield collaborated with the Greenfield Tree Committee to organize the talk.
Milam, a research scientist and University of Massachusetts Amherst faculty member, will talk about her research on native bees and trees. According to a Greenfield Tree Committee press release, after introducing participants to the diversity of bees living locally, she will talk about what she has learned about the importance of trees and forest habitat to bees. She will also share her thoughts about how planting specific trees can make a difference to the lives of bees.
“The health of honey bees, which were brought here from Europe to support our food crops, has been much in the news over the past few years,” said Nancy Hazard, a member of both the Greenfield Tree Committee and Greening Greenfield. “But we also have over 350 native bee species, according to the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, in our area that are equally important to maintaining our world as we know it. Many of these native bees are experiencing various environmental stressors, but fortunately there is much we can do to support them.”
Milam has researched the conservation of native bees, biodiversity and taxonomy for many years, according to the release. She has conducted baseline inventories of native bees in Massachusetts and elsewhere, and explored the effects of managed habitats and habitat restoration on native bee populations. With a particular interest in trees and forests, she has explored how we could manage forested areas in our communities, including our street trees and yards, so that they support and enhance bee populations.
After the talk, refreshments will be served. There will be a chance to talk with Milam and the event’s organizers, and pick up resource materials.