The research involves ethical bee collections, post-mortem bee blow drying (yes! blow drying!), genera & species identification using challenging taxonomic keys, and lots of bee photography. Findings are documented in the Big Bee Library (Symbiota), thus expanding vital natural history records in this very challenging anthropocene epoch.
Field & Lab Work
We hosted our first two students in their paid internship, awarded by the National Science Foundation to our collaborators at the College of the Canyons. Xari Amezcua and Ashley Davis were selected from an excellent pool of SBVC Biology major applicants in Spring 2024. Xari and Ashley have presented their native bee study results at a student conference this past August.
More SBVC students will be selected for this particular internship in the next 5 years!!
Native Bee Diversity Study
Biology Major Courses - Independent Projects
Empowering beyond content!
Our bio majors course series allows students to conduct their own research projects for at least 6 weeks in their semester. The Bio AS/AS-T program provides a holistic approach that equips students with the necessary soft skills for today and their future. Simultaneously, our students are coached to become nature stewards whichever career or discipline they choose.
Nature
Stewardship!
Nature stewardship involves caring for our environment, from local habitats to the broader ecosystem.
We take this responsibility seriously, aiming to instill a sense of ownership and accountability in our students and visitors.
We encourage everyone to become stewards by adopting behaviors and practices that promote conservation, sustainability, and restoration.
Bird Monitoring
Our bird monitoring projects provide valuable information about the health of bird populations in an urban area (SBVC campus) and the Colorado desert at the Chuckwalla Mountains.
We track the presence of both resident and migratory birds, their nesting activity and thus their level of diversity. Stay tuned for the cumulative results recorded in our campus (2012-present) and the Chuckwalla Mountains (since 1970s - in collaboration with Chaffey biology faculty).
This project showcases our commitment to wildlife and plant conservation and monitoring. We cherish our partnership with the Pebble Plain Committee, which has enabled us to install wildlife cameras since 2018 to monitor passing wildlife. The Pebble Plain habitat, found only in the Big Bear mountain region, has provided our students with the opportunity to record remarkable wildlife sightings while enjoying the area's rare and endangered plants.
Partnering with Pebble Plain Ecological Reserve-Moonridge
