Insect Pollinator Conservation: A Tour of Policy EffortsMarch 31, 2021, via Zoom
Insect pollinators are becoming visible to societies. The value of insect behaviors that pollinate human crops, animal feed, and wildlife forage is entering public consciousness, media, and culture. In light of well-documented declines in managed honey bees, people are becoming aware of declines of the world’s other 20,000+ native bees—the invisible workers whose impact on food security and economics remain unknown. And people now like bees.
The world’s governments are catching up with this popular interest and the science of insect conservation. Insect pollinator decline is inherently a human issue, driven by a history of land-use trends, changes in technologies, and cultural perceptions that unwittingly cause and perpetuate declines. Whereas all environmental policy is about changing human behaviors. Conservation of insect pollinators requires integrating social and ecological understandings to reconfigure human behaviors across societies’ sectors.
In this talk, we take a tour of conservation policy efforts. We examine how the science of insect declines is being translated into nascent international agreements, national, US state, and municipal efforts as well as the conservation practices of home gardeners.
The speaker:
Damon Hall is an assistant professor jointly appointed in the School of Natural Resources and Biomedical, Biological & Chemical Engineering. He is the Certificate Coordinator for the Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability and Director of the Center for Watershed Management and Water Quality at MU. He received his BS in Agriculture and MA in from Purdue University. At Purdue, he was apiary manager of Dr. Hunt’s Honeybee Genetics Lab. He completed a PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University as a Boone & Crockett Conservation Policy Fellow. After postdoctoral at the University of Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative, he was an assistant professor in the Center for Sustainability and Department of Biology at Saint Louis University before joining MU. Damon was hired as a part of the “Pillars of Pursuit” cluster hire under Sustainability inFEWSed (Food, Energy, Water, Smart Cities) in 2018.
His research examines interactions between social and ecological systems where science, policy, and culture meet. His work involves engaging stakeholders in environmental policy, sustainability planning, systems modeling, life cycle assessment, and hydrological modeling. At Mizzou, he heads the Sustainability Science Lab, which includes projects in water resources planning, urban pollinator conservation, and communicating social-ecological systems models. Hall has received grants from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Science Foundation, and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Dr. Hall’s paper, “The city as a refuge for insect pollinators,” has received awards from the Society for Conservation Biology including highest Altmetric score, most cited, and top 20-most downloaded. He has received a teaching honor from Saint Louis University and a partnership award from the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation. His research has been covered by over 130 news and magazine sources since 2018. Professor Hall is a member of the International Society for Sustainability Science, the International Association for Society and Natural Resources, and the Ecological Society of America.
Three Billion Birds Lost: The Disappearance Of North American Birds and What We Can Do About ItMarch 24, 2021, via Zoom
The recent publication in Science documented the loss of nearly 3 billion birds from the North American avifauna; loss of abundance is pervasive across biomes, taxonomic groups, and among common and familiar species. The response to this news across wildlife agencies, the media, and the public has been remarkable, signaling that this may be a “moment in time” for bird conservation, similar to the response publication of Silent Spring more than 50 years ago. Ken Rosenberg, lead author on the study, describes changes in the continent’s birdlife, based on long-term monitoring surveys and weather radar. He also points to successful models of conservation and a set of simple actions that all of us can take to protect birds and their habitats. Ken describes a new scientific approach to identifying the causes of declines and advancing species along the road to recovery—a reimagining of bird conservation in the 21st century.
The speaker:
Ken Rosenberg works at the interface between research, conservation planning, and environmental policy, in a joint position at the Cornell Lab and American Bird Conservancy. His primary role is to synthesize and interpret research on the status and distribution of bird populations, and to engage with wildlife managers and policy-makers to ensure that conservation decisions are based on the best available science. Ken represents the Cornell Lab on the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) U.S. Committee and is the lead scientist on NABCI’s annual State of the Birds Reports. In addition, he studies the critical role that stopover sites and habitats play for migratory birds after they travel south of the U.S. to Central and South America. Dr. Rosenberg is a lifelong birder and attended Cornell University. He then conducted research on desert riparian birds for his Masters degree at Arizona State University, and on foraging specialization in Amazonian birds for his PhD at Louisiana State University. He came full circle back to Cornell, where he’s been applying his bird knowledge to conserve species and habitats for the past 25 years.
AI and Computer Vision in Bee Ecology, Conservation, and Citizen ScienceMarch 17, 2021, via Zoom webinar
With more than 20,000 species globally, bees provide us with vital pollination services that help feed us and maintain diverse and healthy ecosystems. Mounting evidence of declines in many species is therefore troubling. Efforts are underway to help us understand why, where, and which bee species are in trouble so that we can apply that knowledge to their conservation. One of the most important steps in conservation science is to identify species so that their population sizes in different locations can be measured and monitored through time. However, bees are notoriously difficult to identify, which leads to a time consuming and expensive bottleneck for conservation research.
Promising new techniques in AI and computer vision, originally developed for self-driving cars, are now being applied to the problem of bee identification and will soon help remove this bottleneck. BeeMachine, for example is a web-based tool that can be used by anyone to automatically identify North American bumble bee species from photos. We are working to expand the scale of the app to include more types of bees across the globe. This will provide access for education, nature enthusiasts, and integration into large scale monitoring programs. I will talk about the current state of the art in computer vision for bee research, where we are headed, and how you can get involved.
The speaker:
Dr. Brian Spiesman is Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology at Kansas State University where he studies relationships between insects, plants, and the environment. His research focuses on how species are distributed in space and time. The Spiesman Ecology Lab studies how environmental change affects the biodiversity of pollinators, the plants they rely on, and their ability to perform essential pollination services. Dr. Spiesman and his students are also developing new ways to automate the observation and identification of pollinators using machine learning and computer vision. He earned a BS from Portland State University, an MS from the University of Florida, and a PhD from Florida State University.
The Pursuit of "Mappiness" (Part 3 of 3): Mapping the PastDecember 17, 2020, via Zoom
Deeper Dive Part 3 of 3: The Pursuit of "Mappiness"
This three-part series will forever change the way you look at maps. We’ll use old maps, new maps, red maps, and blue maps to illustrate the ways in which scale, symbols, projections, and propaganda goals all influence how we perceive our world. We’ll peek behind the GPS curtain to understand the miracle of a global satellite network that makes our phones smarter and world politics more complicated. Do you associate local history with cutting edge technology? You may be surprised to see how dusty old maps from the archives are solving modern mysteries through online mapping tools. You will come away from our “Pursuit of Mappiness” as a more informed and discerning map reader seeing every map with new eyes.
December 17: “Mapping the Past”
Libraries and archives preserve incredible hand-drawn maps documenting our history. Many American towns, even the small ones, and their historic buildings were repeatedly mapped at an outrageous level of detail in the 19th and 20th centuries before drones, aerial photography, or GPS. Now these maps, and the gold mine of information they contain, are becoming available to a wider audience. Learn how online mapping tools combine maps, old and new, to answer important questions about our past.
The speaker:
Kelly Johnston is a native of Missouri, earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Missouri and a graduate degree in Geographic Information Science from Indiana University. He taught mapping on the faculty at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and his maps have been published in the New York Times. Most recently he taught Geographic Information Systems at Drury University.
The Pursuit of "Mappiness" (Part 2 of 3): Mapping Yourself with GPSDecember 10, 2020, via Zoom
Deeper Dive Part 2 of 3: The Pursuit of "Mappiness"
This three-part series will forever change the way you look at maps. We’ll use old maps, new maps, red maps, and blue maps to illustrate the ways in which scale, symbols, projections, and propaganda goals all influence how we perceive our world. We’ll peek behind the GPS curtain to understand the miracle of a global satellite network that makes our phones smarter and world politics more complicated. Do you associate local history with cutting edge technology? You may be surprised to see how dusty old maps from the archives are solving modern mysteries through online mapping tools. You will come away from our “Pursuit of Mappiness” as a more informed and discerning map reader seeing every map with new eyes.
December 10: “Mapping Yourself with GPS”
The who, what, when, where, why, and how of global navigation technology is a story of geography, science, politics, and power. While your GPS is finding the best route to Grandma’s house, it’s also monitoring worldwide nuclear detonations. When and why did the smartphone in your pocket start communicating with Russian satellites? We’ll take a glimpse behind the GPS curtain to better understand how our society relies on technology for mapping ourselves.
The speaker:
Kelly Johnston is a native of Missouri, earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Missouri and a graduate degree in Geographic Information Science from Indiana University. He taught mapping on the faculty at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and his maps have been published in the New York Times. Most recently he taught Geographic Information Systems at Drury University.
The Pursuit of “Mappiness” (Part 1 of 3): All Maps are LiesDecember 3, 2020, via Zoom
Deeper Dive Part 1 of 3: The Pursuit of "Mappiness"
This three-part series will forever change the way you look at maps. We’ll use old maps, new maps, red maps, and blue maps to illustrate the ways in which scale, symbols, projections, and propaganda goals all influence how we perceive our world. We’ll peek behind the GPS curtain to understand the miracle of a global satellite network that makes our phones smarter and world politics more complicated. Do you associate local history with cutting edge technology? You may be surprised to see how dusty old maps from the archives are solving modern mysteries through online mapping tools. You will come away from our “Pursuit of Mappiness” as a more informed and discerning map reader seeing every map with new eyes.
December 3: “All Maps Are Lies”
Maps spur our imagination. Maps transport us. In maps we trust. But all maps are lies. Filled with examples of maps from the Show-Me State and beyond, this presentation will forever change the way you look at maps. You will come away as a more informed and discerning map reader with an understanding that “not only is it easy to lie with maps, but it is essential.”
The speaker:
Kelly Johnston is a native of Missouri, earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Missouri and a graduate degree in Geographic Information Science from Indiana University. He taught mapping on the faculty at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and his maps have been published in the New York Times. Most recently he taught Geographic Information Systems at Drury University.
Privacy in the Digital Age (Part 3 of 3): Protecting Digital Privacy—What Can Be Done; Trends; and Future DirectionsAugust 19, 2020, via Zoom webinar
This Deeper Dive series focuses on Internet privacy: Is there a natural right to privacy? What are we talking about when we talk about privacy? And how do new technologies lead to new challenges? We’ll examine data mining, facial recognition, the commodification of data, surveillance as a business model, and what the individual can do.
The instructor:
Brian K. Hare is Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Computing and Engineering, where his research focus and expertise includes instructional methods, student engagement, programming, and ethical and societal issues in computing. Along with degrees in social work, Brian has a BS and an MS in computer science from UMKC.
Privacy in the Digital Age (Part 2 of 3): Surveillance as a Business ModelAugust 12, 2020, via Zoom webinar
This Deeper Dive series focuses on Internet privacy: Is there a natural right to privacy? What are we talking about when we talk about privacy? And how do new technologies lead to new challenges? We’ll examine data mining, facial recognition, the commodification of data, surveillance as a business model, and what the individual can do.
The instructor:
Brian K. Hare is Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Computing and Engineering, where his research focus and expertise includes instructional methods, student engagement, programming, and ethical and societal issues in computing. Along with degrees in social work, Brian has a BS and an MS in computer science from UMKC.
Privacy in the Digital Age (Part 1 of 3): Definitions of Privacy (And Why Digital is Different and Anonymity is Hard)
The Traveling Geology Exhibit—Bringing Geology to the People** watch future Linda Hall Library lectures live at new.livestream.com/lindahall **
February 18, 2020, in the Main Reading Room of the Linda Hall Library.
Second program of a four-part series with Dr. Richard Gentile, Professor Emeritus of Geology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
The lectures are presented in partnership with the UMKC Department of Geosciences.
The Rock Ledge Along the Missouri River That Gave Birth to Kansas City, MissouriMarch 10, 2020, in the Main Reading Room of the Linda Hall Library.
Dr. Richard Gentile’s major research interest is the geology and paleontology of Missouri and eastern Kansas. He authored the book, Rocks and fossils of the Central United States with special emphasis on the Greater Kansas City area, and has taught a vertebrate fossil collecting course in the Badlands, South Dakota for 20 seasons. His present project is, The Traveling Geology Exhibit that through wall illustrations and fossil specimens reconstructs the geologic history of the Greater Kansas City area. Professor Gentile was born, raised and educated in Missouri. He began teaching geology courses at UMKC in 1966, retiring in 1999 but continued to teach until a replacement was hired in 2002. He received the BA and MA degrees in geology from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a PhD in geology from the University of Missouri-Rolla.
The Geologic History of the Greater Kansas City AreaFebruary 11, 2020, in the Main Reading Room of the Linda Hall Library.
First program of a four-part series with Dr. Richard Gentile, Professor Emeritus of Geology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
The lectures are presented in partnership with the UMKC Department of Geosciences.
A Deeper Dive: The Scientific Study of the Plate Tectonics History of the World (Part 3 of 3)** watch future Linda Hall Library lectures live at new.livestream.com/lindahall **
November 19, 2019, at Johnson County Community College.
Presented by Bill Shefchik, geologist (retired), Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company in Kansas City, Missouri
The third and final session covers the latest billion years in the geology of Northern Scotland, including another whole mountain range being thrust up and being eroded completely away during the formation and subsequent breakup of the supercontinent Pangea. Breaking up can be hard, but in any case, the consequences of this breakup have been, and continue to be, profound. We will also take a deeper dive into the science behind the fossil record. For a finishing touch, we will discuss earthquakes, volcanoes, and a few present-day popular myths.
A Deeper Dive: The Scientific Study of the Plate Tectonics History of the World (Part 2 of 3)** watch future Linda Hall Library lectures live at new.livestream.com/lindahall **
November 12, 2019, at Johnson County Community College
Presented by Bill Shefchik, geologist (retired), Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company in Kansas City, Missouri
This second session covers the history of the middle two billion years in Northern Scotland, including the deductions based upon the scientific principles and techniques presented in the first Deep Dive. It shows that Scotland once hosted a part of one of the tallest mountain ranges in the world. And it shows how we know how tall they were, based on data available in present-day rocks.
A Deeper Dive: The Scientific Study of the Plate Tectonics History of the World (Part 1 of 3)** watch future Linda Hall Library lectures live at new.livestream.com/lindahall **
November 5, 2019, at Johnson County Community College
Presented by Bill Shefchik, geologist (retired), Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company in Kansas City, Missouri
In this first Deeper Dive session, the focus is on the earliest geologic history of the earth and of Northern Scotland in particular, by digging down into some of the scientific techniques that tell Scotland’s three-billion-year story. Incredible detective work with radioactive isotopes, phenomenal chemical trace-element studies of some quite-boring looking rocks, and beautiful studies of minerals that make up the rocks combine to tell how our earth first developed a crust.
