Echinacea Project, 2014
B.A, Biology, Scripps College
Research Interests
The Echinacea Project has identified 26 key species of bees that visit Echinacea angustifolia, but these pollinators may vary in their degree of pollination efficiency. This summer, I will test for pollinator efficiency on several hundred heads of Echinacea angustifolia by limiting each head to a single pollinator visit and quantifying efficiency based on the number of shriveled styles. Understanding the specific efficiency of different pollinators that visit Echinacea angustifolia will help determine which species are key to its continued survival.
Personal Statement
My primary research interests include pollination biology and botany and I am particularly interested in studying ecological processes that operate in agricultural production systems. At Scripps College I am in the process of building a reference collection and species list of bee diversity at the Bernard Field Station, one of the few remaining habitats for coastal sage scrub in Southern California. My non-academic interests include yoga, rock climbing, and organic gardening. I enjoy spending time outdoors and am excited to explore the prairie grasslands of western Minnesota.
