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Project Updates for collection: Monarch Butterfly projects

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  1. Entomology Courses Review

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA

    Morgan White reviewed the following Entomology courses with Professors May Berenbaum and Adam Dolezal:

    • IB 105: Environmental Biology
    • IB 335: Systematics of Plants
    • IB 329: Animal Behavior
    • IB 444: Insect ecology
    • IB 451: Conservation Biology
    • IB 468*: Insect Classification and Evolution – being held this fall
    • IB 526: Seminar in Entomology

    *During the review, Professor Berenbaum and Professor Dolezal added IB 468 to the pre-existing list of the other courses.

  2. Meeting Minutes from Pollinator Call (07-12-2021)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA
    Red Oak Rain Garden
    Plantings at Dorner Drive Retention Pond
    Native Plants at Arboretum
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    On July 12, 2021, Adam Dolezal, May Berenbaum, Layne Knoche, Eliana Brown, Morgan White, and Avery Maloto met over Zoom to discuss pollinator efforts on campus. The conversation included topics such as: Bloom Calendar, Red Oak Rain Garden, Dorner Drive Retention Pond, Setting up a BioBlitz, and more.

    See the attached file to view the minute notes. 

    Attached Files: 

  3. The compost tumbler is back!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Compost at National Soybean Research Center (NSRC)

    The compost tumbler is once again available for drop-off at the National Soybean Research Center! A few reminders:

    • Drop off organic material only, including food scraps (remove stickers!), coffee grounds, paper towels/napkins, and tea bags.
    • Compostable ware (cutlery, cups, etc.) cannot go in the tumbler.
    • Please refrain from putting in extremely dense or packed material. We'd prefer not to have excessively dense or heavy materials. 

    To prevent bad odors and flies, please also put in "brown" material, including leaves or paper towels, and give the tumbler a turn. If you encounter any issues, please contact Meredith Moore at mkm0078@illinois.edu. Thank you!! 

  4. Article: Can Solar Farms Help Save Bees?

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Bee Campus USA
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    Discover Magazine released an article highlighting the biodiversity benefits that can stem from pairing solar farms with pollinator-friendly plants. Supporting its claims with initiatives from universities across the country, the article recognizes the University of Illinois' pollinator habitat at Solar Farm 2.0.

    Read the article on Discover Magazine. Or, refer to the PDF of the article in the attached files.

     

    Attached Files: 

  6. Seventh Annual BeeBlitz

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA

    Calling all citizen-scientists! The Seventh Annual BeeBlitz will be on Saturday, June 26th, 2021 from 9-11 AM CDT! 

    To attend, meet at the Pollinatarium or go bee spotting in a forest, prairie, or backyard near you! Bring your camera or smartphone and be ready to snap photos of honey & bumblebees, then upload them to BeeSpotter to contribute to its database of Midwestern bee spottings.

    Learn more about the BeeBlitz.

  7. Archived Info - Previous Project Background

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA

    Interest in this project began in October 2017, at the AASHE Student Summit. Several residents of the Sustainability Living-Learning Community attended a workshop at this summit about the Bee Campus USA movement. These students were inspired by the progress of other universities and decided to start this project on our own campus. From that point on, the Sustainability LLC, Facilities & Services, Red Bison Ecological Restoration (RSO), and the Pollinatarium have collaborated to ensure the success of this project. The application process in this project must be done annually to maintain the Bee Campus USA certification.

  8. Archive Info - Previous Project Description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA

    Bee Campus USA is a nation-wide movement to support pollinators on university campuses. A university that is Bee Campus USA-certified proves that they are progressing in awareness, native plant landscapes, and safe pest management. The Bee Campus committee developed an official web page in spring 2018 and worked with Facilitites & Services to develop a University Habitat Plan. In addition, with funding from the SSC, we will be installing pollinator signage on campus in fall 2018.

  9. Florida-Orchard Prairie Pollinator Signage

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Prairie Restoration at Florida & Orchard
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    A 24" by 36" blank sign was installed at the corner of Florida Avenue and Orchard Street, by the Florida-Orchard prairie, near Orchard Downs and the Presidents’ House. The information planned to be featured in the sign will originate from the new Bee Campus brochure. This text will highlight the Bee Campus student organization, information about pollinators, as well as university and campus initiatives to be more pollinator-friendly. Thanks to funding by SSC, the signage will be ready for public display by the end of 2021!

    See the attached files to view the installation of the blank sign!

    Attached Files: 

  10. SSC Semesterly Report June 2021: Meadow at Orchard Downs Low Mow Zone

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Meadow at Orchard Downs
    Low Mow Zones
    Issue Press Releases and Sustainability Reports

    As a part of the terms of the funding agreement for Meadow at Orchard Downs Low Mow Zones, the Student Sustainability Committee released a semesterly report with key information about the project on June 14, 2021. The report can be viewed below.

    Attached Files: 

  13. Article: Pollinator Conservation on Solar Farms

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Bee Campus USA
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    Entomology Today released an article highlighting the strategy and benefits behind pairing solar energy with pollinator habitats. Supporting its claims with UIUC and Iowa State initiatives, the article discusses content such as the scorecard approach, efficiency of the positioning of planted vegetation, and restrictions from geographic locations.

    Read the article on Entomology Today. Or, refer to the PDF of the article in the attached files.

    Attached Files: 

  15. iSEE Newsletter: Plantings Complete Solar Farm 2.0!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
    Energy iCAP Team

    The final stage of the Solar Farm 2.0 project is wrapping up this month with the planting of a native pollinator habitat. The farm will serve as a major demonstration and research site for pollinator-friendly solar arrays, with more than 6.5 million flowering plants and native grasses around the 54 acres of panels creating a natural habitat for birds and beneficial insects. With this second solar farm, the campus has achieved clean energy goals outlined in the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) nearly four years ahead of schedule. Clean energy production will now support roughly 12 percent of annual campus electricity demand. Congratulations to Facilities & Services for all of the hard work on this important project; iSEE and its SWATeam members were proud to provide key support for Solar Farm 2.0 by pushing for an increased renewable portfolio in the iCAP. Students in iSEE's sustainability minor also helped assess the new array's carbon footprint!

  16. NSRC Pollinator Garden Build

    Associated Project(s): 
    Compost at National Soybean Research Center (NSRC)
    Student Groups with Sustainability Focus
    Red Oak Rain Garden
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Bee Campus USA

    The 350 square-foot pollinator garden at the National Soybean Research Center is planted! The weather was beautiful and we had a fun time hearing plant stories and learning about our very own native species from Layne Knoche. Check out our Facebook post here. 

    Huge thank you to Layne Knoche, Eliana Brown, and the whole Red Oak Rain Garden team, Eric Green, Michael Dzianott and the Red Bison team, Joey Kreiling, Blake Cedergren, and the From the Ground Up team, and all friends who helped out with the planting. 

    Stay tuned for more fun! 

  17. Article: An Earth Month to Remember

    Associated Project(s): 
    Tree Campus Higher Education
    Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet)
    TED Talk: Eco Edition Series
    Certified Greener Campus Programs
    Earth Month
    Illinois Solar Decathlon
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Solar Farm 2.0

    The Spring 2021 iSEE Quarterly Update (iQ) highlighted a diverse array of campus initiatives that made this year's Earth Month one to remember. Ranging from hosted events to sustainable energy, the article discusses the launch of the "TED Talk: Eco Edition" series, Solar Farm 2.0, community trash pickup, and more!

    Read the article in the attached files below. 

    Attached Files: 

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