On August 7th, the Coastal Prairie Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists will host Invertebrate Biologist Michael Warriner for a fascinating program on Native Bees of Texas. The free event is open to the public and begins at 7 pm at the Bud O’Shieles Community Center, located at 1330 Band Road in Rosenberg.
Warriner is currently the Program Leader of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Nongame and Rare Species Program. Prior to coming to Texas, he worked as the Invertebrate Zoologist for the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and as a research associate working on forest entomology at Mississippi State University.
Native bees are critical to native plant reproduction and are key players in the maintenance of Texas’ natural ecosystems. A significant number of native plants pollinated by these bees produce fruit, nuts or seeds that thousands of animal species depend on for food, including some popular game animals. Native bees also play economically important roles in agricultural production. The value of native bees to U.S. agriculture is estimated to be approximately $3 billion annually.
The Texas Master Naturalists program is sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. For more information, e-mail mmcdowell@ag.tamu.edu or call 281-633-7033.