Meeting 1226 Minutes
The 1226th meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club was called to order by President Jessie Thuma at 7:36pm on Tuesday May 9, 2023. Approx. 18 members and guests attended with 8 more joining us on Zoom.
New business:
The 2023-2024 Club officers will be:
President: Jacob Dayton
Vice President: Sarah Dendy
Treasurer: Jay Shetterly
Secretary: Andrea Golden
Executive Council: Scott Smyers, Jay Shetterly
Jessie announced a public session that was held May 10 at the Mass. State House concerning limits on pesticides, including a bill addressing the impact of pesticides on pollinators.
Jay reminded members to pay their dues.
Old business:
Jacob Dayton, Brendan Carson, Alyssa Murray and Seung-huan Kim were confirmed for membership.
The Club is seeking a member to bring refreshments for meetings.
Our speakers were Scott Smyers of Oxbow Associates and the CEC, and Tufts graduate student and CEC President Jessie Thuma.
Scott’s talk was entitled “The History, Mission, and Evolution of the Cambridge Entomological Club”. Founded in 1874, the Cambridge Entomological Club is the third oldest entomological society in North America. Psyche, the Club’s journal, was published from 1874-1995, is now an online publication. Since its early days, CEC has hosted field outings, participated in public outreach, and offered 1226 public lectures to date. Scott discussed prominent members: Samuel Scudder, CEC’s first president and several early women entomologists. The Club organized its first field outing to Mt. Washington in 1874 and later to Mt. Katahdin. Over the years, speakers have included Wm. Morton Wheeler, E. O. Wilson, and Thomas Eisner. Plans for the 150th anniversary of the Club in 2024 are underway.
Jessie’s talk was entitled “Effects of Nutrient Enrichment and Rainfall on Pollinator Nutrition”
Wild pollinators are critical to maintaining ecosystem services and facilitating crop production. Habitat degradation and resource loss are leading to pollinator declines. Nutrient enrichment and unpredictable changes in rainfall due to climate change affect the phenology of flowering plants (in this case, sunflowers and goldenrod) and are likely to impact pollinators foraging behavior and reproductive success. Fertilizer and rainfall levels can also affect flower quality, quantity and timing (unfertilized plants appear to produce more flowers over a longer time) and this may also impact pollinators, specifically bumblebees in Jessie’s studies. These findings can provide insight into potential drivers of wild pollinator decline and possible conservation strategies.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45
Respectfully submitted, Andrea Golden, CEC Secretary
