Explore the magical world of the Montague Plains Joan Milam, Aliza Fassler, Kyle Bradford, Nick Dorian, Max McCarthy
UMass biologists explore the habitat and denizens of our unique inland sand plain. A land of Whip-poor-wills, Bees, and Ants.
The secret lives of cellophane bees
Cellophane bees (Colletes) are some of the most conspicuous insects in early spring in Massachusetts. To even an uninformed observer, their tumultuous mating balls, volcano-like nest entrances, and high nesting densities almost always engender curiosity. Tufts University PhD student Nick Dorian has spent the past two years digging (literally) into the secret lives of cellophane bees. He’ll share with you his observations of cellophane bees both above- and below-ground at Montague Plains WMA: Why are they called cellophane bees? What can their nesting habits tell us about other inconspicuous, rare, or threatened bee species? And, perhaps most intriguing, why is the brewing industry interested in them?
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This is part of the MREC Sunday Open House series. The Center will be open from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM for you to explore exhibits, the artwork and gardens. Free and open to all
