2024 Winter Lecture Series: Beyond Honeybees: Beetles, butterflies, bumblebees, and other pollinators with Dan Duran, Ph.D. (February 18, 2024)

People have become aware of the critical importance of insect pollinators to plants, including some of our major food crops. When thinking of flower pollination, honeybees might come to mind. This is unfortunate because so many of our most important pollinators are native insects, including the unsung heroes like beetles, butterflies, flies, wasps and more—groups of insects that few consider in this context! Join Dan Duran, Ph.D., for an enlightening discussion of the many pollinators that keep our wild and cultivated plants thriving.

Daniel P. Duran, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the department of environmental science at Rowan University as well as the naturalist for Scotland Run Park, a 1300-acre nature preserve at the edge of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. He has published research papers on new methods for species discovery/delineation, biodiversity science and molecular phylogenetics. Duran has described 13 new species of insects, previously unknown to science. He received a B.S. in environmental science from Stockton University in 1998, an M.S. in entomology from University of Missouri in 2002 and a Ph.D. in evolution and ecology from Vanderbilt University in 2010. In between his degrees, he has also worked for the Natural History Museum in London, UK and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Duran is a co-author of the book A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada, 2nd Edition.

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time. Zoom invitations will be sent out after this time to the email used to register for the event via education@bhwp.org.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

Additional Information: Online registration for this program closes at noon on the date of the program. This lecture is part of our Annual Winter Lecture Series. The series features presentations by regionally renowned experts who address a wide range of topics related to natural history, biodiversity, ecological gardening, native plants and native wildlife.