CCUWBee Research Initiative

Dr. Amy Lambert is a conservation scientist and public artist whose interdisciplinary work integrates scientific practice, collaborative performance, experimental investigation and public art. Her research focuses on species-level ecology (rare butterflies and pollinators), plant community restoration and the political and philosophical barriers that limit the study and preservation of imperiled species. Her passion for pollinators blossomed in 2010, with the installation of four larger-than-life pollen balls for Presidio Habitats, a site-based exhibition created for the Presidio of San Francisco. For the last decade, Amy has served as a Lecturer in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at UW Bothell. She teaches a variety of courses from Introduction to Restoration Ecology to What’s the Buzz: Urban Bee Behavior. She founded the CCUWBee Research Initiative in 2012 in an effort to involve students and members of the public in research projects that inform pollinator conservation. Over the years, the CCUWBee Research Initiative has created an invaluable baseline measure of pollinator diversity on campus that will inform climate change studies in the future. Annual monitoring also helps to inform gardeners and land managers of critical pollinator habitat on campus.

Alexa’s passion for pollinators started as a student in Professor Lambert’s class, as she learned about their role in sustaining life on earth. She brought this interest into her role as Sustainability Student Assistant, and later into her position as UW Bothell Sustainability Coordinator. As she spent more and more time surveying in the field, she developed a deep relationship with these beautiful creatures, and now works to build awareness around supporting and preserving their populations both on and off campus.

Stephan has a background in scientific research, and recently worked in teaching and research labs.  His passion for field research and the importance of plants and pollination brought him to this project, as well as his goal to help students succeed in sustainability efforts.  He’s excited about bringing pollinator research and education to more people on campus!

Kristen’s fascination with bees spawned in Spring of 2017, when she took the infamous Bee Class with Dr. Amy Lambert, which, like many, ignited her passion for our crucial pollinators. Since then she has worked with the CCUWBee Research Initiative to study bees on campus. She especially values the shift in visual perspective studying bees has brought her, “I notice little things I never would have seen before”. A big believer in citizen science, Kristen uses her camera to capture specimens both small and smaller in order to promote the value of citizen science in invertebrate conservation and to encourage other people to get involved.

Eailani's passion for native bee conservation began in Spring 2019 after taking Dr. Amy Lambert's class, "What's The Buzz?". After learning about the importance of native pollinators and the threats they face, she then began working alongside the CCUWBee Research Initiative studying the native bee species richness and abundance on the UWB campus. Since her involvement, she has conducted research, guided other students, and shared her knowledge and awareness of pollinator conservation in and out of class. "I always knew that bee populations were threatened, but I never realized how something so small can make such a big impact to us and the environment."

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