The overall goal of this internship is to immerse the student in all aspects of Extension educational programming and coordination, and applied research related to the Native Bee Watch Community Science program.
This internship will focus on the education and outreach components of Native Bee Watch including:
1) coordinating the community science volunteers,
2) delivering virtual and in-person educational programming (e.g. presentations, videos, educational and marketing materials, informal science writing)
3) training volunteers (e.g. spot checking data accuracy and working one-on-one in the field with volunteers), and
4) collecting native bee data at a public garden site.
Pollinator populations are declining worldwide, partly due to urbanization and habitat loss. Bees, specifically, are crucial for sustainable ecosystems, necessitating the need to strengthen efforts in public awareness and engagement to mitigate continued declines. Native Bee Watch (NBW) is a community science program offered through CSU Extension that trains and supports volunteers to identify and monitor bees. As a multi-disciplinary collaboration, NBW’s overarching goal is to create a ripple effect of engagement and education based on ecological and social science research.
