The vast majority of plants rely on pollinators to reproduce. From bees, to butterflies, to birds and bats, these pollinator partners shaped the evolution of flowers, giving us so much of the beauty we appreciate today. However, these exciting dynamics, in which a flower’s pollen is carried to a stigma, are fraught with trickery, bribery, thievery, and wild sexual acrobatics. Join Rebecca McMackin to learn the essentials of pollination ecology. Why do plants have flowers? How did they evolve? Why are they so pretty and smell so good to us, non-pollinating primates? By the end of the lecture, you will be able to “read” flowers and come to know the true desires of the organisms you cultivate.

This lecture is free and in person! In the Cambridge Public Library. Please register here only if you know you can attend, as it will sell out. The lecture will be available online in the future.