This year’s Research Day of the UKZN School of Life Science happened on May 22nd, a very apt date being it also World Biodiversity Day. The day went by between talks and poster sessions and was a success, thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of the participants, the organiser (Flower Hunter Dr Timo Van der Niet) and the many volunteers. Presenters from the Pollination Research Lab: Continue reading
Studying plant-pollinator systems also means taking samples of organisms acting on both sides of the interaction. This, in the case of insects, means sacrificing a few individuals for DNA studies, morphometric measurements, and museum records. Preparing a good insect specimen for preservation requires much more than just sticking a pin through it and pinning it to a board! PhD candidate Genevieve Theron knows it well, as she is working on a philogenetic study of long proboscis flies. Thanks to Genevieve’s effort, Dr John M. Midgley from the KwaZulu-Natal Museum visited our group for a two-day insect pinning course on May 18th and May 21th. Here are a few pictures from the course:
Lab member Simangele Msweli recently introduced primary school children to the natural magic of pollination ecology, what it means to be a scientist, and the importance of knowing the environment around us to protect it. The Sunday Tribune published an interview to her, you can read it by clicking on the image below.
Good job Sima!
Pollination Research Lab 