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Introducing my PhD project to the outside world.
We talk a lot about ‘elevator pitches’ in science communication workshops. An elevator pitch is a short, under 3-minute description of what you do and why it matters. A good elevator pitch is clear, concise, completely without jargon, and understandable to both a Nobel Laureate and your favorite bartender. I’m calling this series “My Elevator Pitch for Native Bee Science,” because I plan to break down my research project into bite-sized pieces. I want to both practice writing to the general public about my work, and share what makes my research so exciting! I hope you enjoy learning more about my PhD project.
Most of pollinator ecology work in the last few decades has consisted of diversity assessments. Scientists go out into the field with a net, a few thousand collection jars and a notebook, and collect anything and everything that buzzes past their head. They bring home the insects in vials, stick them in the freezer to kill them (it’s a gentle death, I promise!), and pin them to a board. Then it’s a matter of using every insect guide imaginable to identify each insect to species level. The goal of this gigantic effort is to know…
