Living Materials: What the ‘Insect Apocalypse’ Means for You and Your Yard

January 21, 2020
The Black Sheep Pub

247 S. 17th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

6:00pm

Ashley Kennedy
Postdoctoral Fellow, United States Army Public Health Center
“Living Materials: What the ‘Insect Apocalypse’ Means for You and Your Yard”
 

Numerous studies from around the world suggest that insect populations are currently in decline. This in turn affects birds who rely on insects as food, especially during the breeding season. To determine which insects are most important in bird diets, I conducted a citizen science project to crowd-source images of birds with their arthropod prey. More than 7,000 photos were contributed by participants across North America, demonstrating that caterpillars are the preferred prey for most terrestrial breeding birds. Come learn how you can help reverse alarming trends in arthropod and bird populations by converting your yard into better wildlife habitat for these groups!