<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Hello -- I am submitting a message from a grower is VERY interested in developing a "Pollinator Observation Handbook" geared specifically to farmers as they walk their property.<br>
<br>In other words, he and a group of like-minded compatriots, are looking to learn more about such things as:<br><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">- as I walk along at 6am, which pollinators am I seeing? if I'm out at 6pm, who can I expect?<br>
</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">- on such&such crop, what kind of pollinators might I expect to see?<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">
- <i>etcetera</i><br>
<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">He is not looking for references or resources -- he very much wants to <b>partner with an expert</b> to develop this guidebook, paid through a grant. <br>
<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">He just needs help collating relevant information from all the resources that are already out there. Ultimately, he wants to take this information to develop workshops and create a farmer-to-farmer network of citizen (grower-specific) science!<br>
</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Is anyone's job ending soon ;-) ? Anyone looking for such a project? <br>
</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">
<br>Please see message below for further details, and PLEASE pass this on to anyone you think would love to be involved in this project.<br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr"><p style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10pt"></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10pt">Best regards,<br>KiM</span></span><b><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br>
--</span></span><br></span></b></span></p><p style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:10pt">K i m b e r l e y M. F e l l o w s</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="background-color:rgb(147,196,125)"><span></span></span><br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt">Pollination Outreach Coordinator<b><br></b><a href="http://www.seeds.ca/en.php" target="_blank">Seeds of Diversity</a> ~ <a href="http://www.seeds.ca/proj/poll/" target="_blank">Pollination Canada</a><br>
<a href="http://www.seeds.ca/fr.php" target="_blank">Semences du Patrimoine</a> ~ <a href="http://www.pollinisationcanada.ca/" target="_blank">Pollinisation Canada<br></a></span><span style="font-size:10pt"></span><span style="font-size:10pt">303-40 King Street South<br>
Waterloo ON N2J 1N8 Canada<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,51)"></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height:normal"><span style="background-color:rgb(243,243,243)"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10pt"></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="color:rgb(106,168,79)"><span style="background-color:rgb(243,243,243)">Heard about <a href="http://www.fooddowntheroad.ca/content/introducing-bee-friendly-farming" target="_blank">Bee Friendly Farming or Gardening</a>?<span></span></span></span><br>
</span></span></p><p style="line-height:normal;font-family:courier new,monospace"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="background-color:rgb(238,238,238)">"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3pIuy69UE8" target="_blank">Spot Your Flower</a>"</span> *<br>
</span></span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10pt"></span><font size="1"><span>* Yes,
you're right ... the film uses the word 'proboscis' incorrectly, for a
moth's proboscis refers to their feeding tube, and would be more
accurately described as a tongue. In contrast, proboscis usually <font size="1">refers to a nose in </font>the vertebrate <font size="1">world</font> (animals
with a backbone). <font size="1"><font size="1"><font size="1">A majority of <font size="1">p</font></font>ollinators <font size="1">inadvertently spread flower pollen simply <font size="1">as </font>they feed on pollen and ne<font size="1">ctar </font>for their own nut<font size="1">ritional needs<font size="1">. Do not be confused -- </font></font></font></font></font>in this f<font size="1">ilm c<font size="1">lip featuring this </font></font>particular orchid pollination, it is still plant pollen that is in<font size="1">volved in pollination -- you can learn more about this wondrous<font size="1">, unusual strategy in </font></font>Michael Pollan's musings <span style="background-color:rgb(182,215,168)"><a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/print/2009/09/orchids/pollan-text" target="_blank">Love and Lies</a></span>.</span></font></span></div>
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<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Thorsten Arnold</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:thorsten.r.arnold@gmail.com" target="_blank">thorsten.r.arnold@gmail.com</a>></span><br>
Date: 28 November 2013 11:30<br>Subject: Letter to pollination listserver<br>To: Kimberley Fellows <<a href="mailto:kim@seeds.ca" target="_blank">kim@seeds.ca</a>>, Kimberley Fellows <<a href="mailto:kimberley.fellows@gmail.com" target="_blank">kimberley.fellows@gmail.com</a>><br>
<br><br>Dear pollinator friends,<br>
<br>
We are looking for someone with experience in observing wild<br>
pollinators, who could help us market gardeners to develop our<br>
capacity to observe and understand the pollination microcosm that<br>
surrounds us every day.<br>
<br>
Organic market gardeners rely heavily on a diversity of wild<br>
pollinators. In fact, in a mixed field, each row of crop is likely to<br>
be pollinated by a different species and group. We have a vested<br>
interest and also the curiosity to understand better what is happening<br>
around us.<br>
<br>
We propose a project that develops a standardized protocol for<br>
observing pollinators in mixed fields. Our aim is to build the<br>
capacity of farmers, while gathering data in a way that allows<br>
cross-regional comparison of species diversity and abundance.<br>
Collaboration with academia would be appreciated. For example, our<br>
qualitative daily observation could be complemented with aggregated<br>
quantitative trap counts.<br>
<br>
We are looking for an expert who is confident that s/he can find order<br>
within the insect chaos, and guide our learning. We need to know what<br>
to look for, but also influences of daytime, weather, season. What are<br>
indicator species? Which differentiations are too complex for newbees<br>
like us? What strategy should we follow to learn step by step? What<br>
type of data creates low-hanging fruits for cross-regional analysis?<br>
<br>
This project idea is coordinated by the Grey Bruce Centre for<br>
Agroecology (<a href="http://www.gbcae.com" target="_blank">www.gbcae.com</a>), a recently formed cooperative of<br>
small-scale diversified farmers with professional background. We would<br>
like to submit a proposal and budget for an expert to develop a<br>
guideline book, hold workshops on how to use it before the season<br>
starts, gather observation data during the season, have a wrap-up<br>
workshop for smoothing the guidelines. This would be the end of the<br>
project, if it is successful, we hope it will be the foundation for a<br>
citizen science network to monitor wild pollinators and raise public<br>
awareness.<br>
<br>
If you are interested in collaborating with us, as academic partners<br>
or pollinator experts, please get in touch.<br>
<br>
Kind regards, Thorsten<br>
<br>
---------------------------------------------------------<br>
Thorsten Arnold<br>
<a href="mailto:thorsten.arnold@gbcae.com" target="_blank">thorsten.arnold@gbcae.com</a><br>
Grey Bruce Centre for Agroecology<br>
<a href="http://www.gbcae.com" target="_blank">www.gbcae.com</a><br>
<br>
RR3,Allenford, ON<br>
N0H 1A0<br>
tel. <a href="tel:519%20935%203005" value="+15199353005" target="_blank">519 935 3005</a><br>
</div><br></div>