Backyard Bee Experts: Help Protect Local Pollinators

About Budburst at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Budburst is the community science program of the Chicago Botanic Garden. We are a collection of researchers, educators, gardeners, and community scientists working together to illustrate the human impacts on the natural world around us. We tell that story through data collection, data sharing, education, and personal connections. Learn more at https://budburst.org.

About the class

Whether you're happy to see a butterfly flutter by the park or nervous to see a bee buzzing near your picnic, these pollinators are hard at work making your world work for you. In this interactive class led by the Chicago Botanic Gardens, students will learn the important role that pollinators play in our ecosystem; get to know and learn to love these amazing creatures, and find out how they can help pollinators help society with some simple steps we can all take in our own neighborhoods.

Meet your expert instructor, Dr. Sarah Jones

Sarah received a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from Michigan State University. She has taught field and college courses on a wide range of subjects, including evolution, genetics, animal behavior, and general biology. She has spent significant time working with K-12 educators and students to incorporate current scientific research into classroom activities. She currently also serves as a director of Project Biodiversify, which aims to enhance human diversity and inclusivity in biology courses. She believes all community members deserve and need an understanding of biology and its relevance to their lives.