MASTER'S RESEARCH

NATIVE BUMBLE BEE HEALTH​

During my master's program at UW-Madison, I conducted fieldwork with both common and threatened bumble bee species to inform land management practices that could be sensitive to the needs of native pollinators. My thesis investigated the impacts of prescribed fire on bumble bee communities and the floral resources they depend upon. You can watch my thesis presentation, which explores the connection between prescribed fire research and Indigenous land sovereignty,  here.

PAST RESEARCH

BUTTERFLY COMMUNICATION

Butterflies may communicate through wing patterns  only visible in the UV or long wavelength spectra. Using the collections at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, I worked with the Pierce Lab to image and analyze wings across the major lineages of butterflies and their relatives. We aim to survey any 'private channel’ communication these wings might display.

PAST RESEARCH
HONEY  BEE ​ ​ FORAGING

Honey bees forage for pollen and nectar to satisfy the changing needs of their colonies throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Under Dr. Rachael Bonoan at Tufts University, our team demonstrated that honey bees seek different minerals in their drinking water depending on the seasons, too!

Photo (left) shows Taylor giving a bumble bee research demonstration for the Madison Audubon Society. Photo credit: Graham Steinhauer.