Pollinators on Green Roofs
College of Agricultural Sciences
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Larimer
County
(Denver)
- Horticulture
- Equal time spent on-campus and in the field
Primary Topic:
Horticulture
Other Topics:
Natural Resources
Internship Overview:
Green roofs are a way to return a portion of the area taken up by development into productive green space. Green roofs provide ecosystem services to pollinators, which are known to be decreasing in numbers, especially in urban areas. Pollinators are an essential component of many food production systems and other ecosystem services. Past green roof research has shown that green roofs provide ecologically significant habitat (food, nesting, etc.) in an urban setting. However, there appears to be a lack of research on how a green roof environment may impact the quality of these foraging options, specifically how nectar resources are affected, both qualitatively and temporally, and what impacts that may have on green roof pollinator visitation.
Goals, Scope and Objectives:
We propose to continue evaluation of flowering timing, pollinator visitation, and floral nectar resources on the Nutrien green roof and in an at-grade garden next to the Plant Science building. Pollinator observations will be conducted as developed by Mason et al. (2018). [Mason, L., Kondratieff, B. C., & Seshadri, A. 2018. Native Bee Watch: A Colorado Citizen Science Field Guide. Colorado State University, College of Agricultural Sciences.]
With which stakeholder group(s) will the intern work?
Extension, horticulture, and green roof industries.
What student learning outcomes do you anticipate and what are the opportunities for professional development?
The intern will gain hands-on experience in the pollinator and horticultural aspects of rooftop agriculture. Additionally, the intern will interact with professionals and gain experience in the areas of Extension, horticulture, and green roofs. The intern will also assist with outreach and community events refining their public speaking and engaged scholarship skills. Therefore, the intern will not only learn about the scientific aspects of these areas but also network with professionals.
