Ph.D. student Douglas Kamaru, one of our Graduate Student Research Enhancement Grant awardees.

$200K+ Awarded to UW Graduate Students

We’ve awarded nearly $200,000 in grants for University of Wyoming graduate students studying biodiversity. Because of generous donors, the BI was able to fund nine different projects that investigate a wide range of questions around biodiversity in Wyoming, the region, and around the world. In addition to world-class science, successful applicants had to show how they would communicate their research to diverse Wyoming audiences and assess their communication’s effectiveness. Learn more about the awardees, their projects, and donors at our website.

Berry Prairie Spotlight

The Secret of the Stonecrop Sedum

We hear a lot about staying properly hydrated, right? Well, plants have to do the same. As a plant, maintaining this balance can be a bit trickier than just drinking more water. All plants must open their stomata (small pores on the leaf surface) to allow CO2 to enter, in order for photosynthesis to occur. But, open stomata also allow water vapor to escape, up to 1000 water molecules exit the stomata for every CO2 molecule fixed into sugars! Some plants have evolved a more efficient method to fix CO2 (called C4 photosynthesis) that doesn’t require keeping stomata open all the time, thus reducing water loss. Stonecrop, and its relatives in the sedum family, Crassulaceae, have taken C4 photosynthesis one step further—not only are they efficient so that stomata are not open much, but the stomata are open only at night. Read more.

Virtual BioBlitz—all year ’round!

The Wyoming BioBlitz went virtual in 2020, with 235 participants contributing 5400 observations to iNaturalist, an online platform where community scientists contribute biodiversity data. It was so much fun, we did it again in 2021, just a week after a successful in-person BioBlitz was held near Sheridan, WY. While the Virtual Wyoming BioBlitz is only one weekend long, you can submit observations to iNaturalist anytime. iNaturalist and experts help identify organisms, and your observations become data for scientists working around the world. If you’d like to learn more about uploading your observation photos to this free platform, watch our 2-minute how-to video.

Events

Summer Bat Walks

This summer, BI Project Coordinator Mason Lee led family-friendly bat walks in several communities around the state. In Casper, she was joined by Dr. Riley Bernard, bat specialist and UW Casper faculty member, who shared stories about bats and studying bats. Mason, a bat ambassador for Bat Conservation International, brought along a receiver, iPad, and speaker that made the bat calls both visible and audible.

Want a Bat Walk in your community? Let us know at biodiversity@uwyo.edu. 

Fly By Our New Exhibition

Funded by a UW Biodiversity Institute Novel Outreach and Education grant, the “Art of Hybridization” explores new ways to communicate the science of hybridization and speciation. Lander artist Rosie Ratigan collaborated with UW Museum of Vertebrates staff and students to depict what happens when closely related species of birds from east and west come together in Wyoming. We celebrated last month with an opening reception and workshop; the exhibit will remain on display at the Berry Center through October 22. Learn more.