Dr. Carolina Diller enthralls local nature lovers at the Ashburton Aloe Festival (30 June 2018).
Part of science is communication! Our research as scientists is often focused toward publishing in scientific journals to be read and acknowledged by other scientists. And yet, the science that we do is not only for other scientists, but for everyone who may be interested! Outreach, where we get to talk to the general public about what we do, is therefore an important part of being a scientist. This is where we can teach people about how interesting science is; where we can make people aware of particular issues that they can become involved in, such as conservation; and also allows us the space to invite the general public into our world and show them that science is for everyone and should be an approachable and worthwhile field to enjoy and encourage. In 2018, several of our lab members were involved in such outreach.
Dr. Carolina Diller and Dr. Timotheus van der Niet gave talks at the local Aloe Festival of the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy, informing KwaZulu-Natal nature lovers about some of the research projects the lab has been involved with there. Dr. Diller shared her research based on data that she and PhD student Miguel Castañeda-Zárate collected while studying the charismatic “Candelabra Aloes” for which the Mpushini Valley is renowned, on “Why are honeybees such poor pollinator of Aloe ferox, despite being frequent visitors?”. Dr van der Niet’s talk, “The Mpushini Valley: a treasure for biological science” featured his own work with Prof Johnson and colleagues on hawkmoth activity patterns, for which data was collected on flowering Crinum and Gardenia in the valley, as well as work by MSc students Marco Balducci on local Bonatea orchids and Hannah Butler on Cyrtanthus.
Dr Timo van der Niet chats to the Mountain Backpackers Club about the fascinating pollination systems all around us (22 November 2018).
In addition, Dr. van der Niet gave a talk at Pietermaritzburg’s first Honeybee Festival, on the role of wild pollinators in the unique South African flora. Dr van der Niet also talked to the Durban Branch of the South African Mountain Club, where a very engaged audience of hikers learnt about the global biodiversity significance of their regular Drakensberg haunts. As their Facebook page reads: “What an amazing and interesting talk by Dr Timo van der Niet of UKZN PMB last night! Literally, a talk about the birds and the bees and other fascinating pollinators, with ingenious interactions between cleverly designed flowers and their pollinators of choice! It certainly gave us an even deeper appreciation of our precious mountains!”
Text: Carolina Diller; Ruth Cozien; Hannah Butler.
Photos: Hannah Butler.
Pollination Research Lab 