Welcome to Bee Curious!

This past year, I joined a wonderful cohort of Vermonters on the path to become a Vermont Master Naturalist (VMN). We gathered throughout the seasons to learn how to read our local landscape from bottom up, from “bedrock to birds.” From bedrock and glacial geology to winter tree ID, wildlife tracking, cultural geography, and finally spring wildflowers, we explored how each layer of our landscape is interconnected.

When I first started this newsletter, I named it Bedrock to Birds to reflect the sharing of my VMN field notes. Now that my year in VMN has concluded, I continue to share stories under a new name: Bee Curious. This name reflects the evolution of my journey as a naturalist and pollinator researcher.

Thank you for being here! In Bee Curious, you'll find nature notes peppered with personal reflections and stories, often with a pollinator slant. This is a space for sharing and sparking curiosity about the natural world, especially bees. 🐝

A bit about me

I grew up watching shorebirds on Fishers Island Sound, spent my college years learning about native pollinators in Costa Rica and Greater Boston, and I now call the Champlain Valley of Vermont home. I’m a Montessori kid turned PhD candidate. I’ve always been a big fan of hands-on, self-directed, nature-based learning.

My dissertation research focuses on wild pollinator conservation and education on farms. I use field work, data science, and place-based education as conservation tools. You can learn more about my research in this video.

I also lead educational walks and workshops about pollinators and native plants in collaboration with folks like Grow Wild, Shelburne Farms, Burlington Parks and Rec., etc., and I serve on the City of Burlington’s Conservation Board.

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