North STL News

University of Missouri Extension offers a virtual Master Pollinator Steward class April 6 to May 11 to help participants learn about pollinators.

“Pollinators such as bees, birds, butterflies, bats and insects play a crucial role in the production of most fruits and vegetables,” says MU Extension horticulturist Tamra Reall. Pollinators support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilize soils and support wildlife.

Reall says the class helps participants learn how to prevent the decline of pollinator populations due to loss of feeding and nesting habitats, pollution and the misuse of pesticides.

The course will discuss how plants and insects have a unique dependence upon each other for survival and the vital role they play in the agricultural economy and food supply, she says.

Zoom sessions are 10 a.m.-noon Thursdays, April 6 to May 11. Lecture sessions will be recorded. This course qualifies as Advanced Training for Extension Master Gardeners and Missouri Master Naturalists and is certified for several learning objectives for the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program.

In addition to the Zoom sessions, extension faculty will hold in-person field trips and lab sessions in the county extension centers listed below. If your county isn’t listed, register at https://bit.ly/MPS-2023(opens in new window).

To register for the combination Zoom/in-person sessions:

• Adair and surrounding counties with specialist Jennifer Schutter, https://extension.missouri.edu/events/missouri-master-pollinator-steward-1677018320
• Boone and Cole counties with specialist Dhruba Dhakal, https://extension.missouri.edu/events/master-pollinator-steward-cole-and-boone-counties
• Johnson County with specialist Kathi Mecham, https://extension.missouri.edu/events/missouri-master-pollinator-steward-johnson-county
• Kansas City area: Clay, Jackson, Platte counties with specialist Tamra Reall, https://extension.missouri.edu/events/master-pollinator-steward-jackson-clay-and-platte-counties

For more information, contact Jennifer Schutter at schutterjl@missouri.edu(opens in new window) or Tamra Reall at reallt@missouri.edu(opens in new window).

Original source can be found here.