51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Volunteers play a vital role in maintaining this living lab while learning about sustainability, pollinators and plant life.

What You'll Do

Volunteering in the garden can include:

• Weeding raised beds and mowing grass

• Planting and cultivating vegetables and flowers

• Caring for native bee habitats and the apiary

• Participating in citizen science projects

• Assisting with GIS mapping and data collection

• Watering and general garden upkeep

• Supporting outreach events on pollinators and the environment
  
  

Love bees, gardening or STEM outreach? Join the Science Education Club! Students create and sell garden-based products like:

• Honey
• Honey goat milk soap
• Beeswax candles
• Honey sticks and lotion

Contact:

• Dr. Rita Hagevik – rita.hagevik@uncp.edu

• Dr. Kaitlin Campbell – kaitlin.campbell@uncp.edu

51³Ô¹ÏÍø offers summer research internships for students interested in:

• Horticulture and plant science

• Pollinator studies and bee ecology

• Palynology (study of pollen)

• GIS mapping and environmental education

Students present their research each year at the PURC Symposium.

For research opportunities, reach out to these faculty advisors:

• Dr. Bryan Sales – Horticulture & Plant Science

• Dr. Martin Farley – Palynology

• Dr. Rita Hagevik – GIS & STEM Education

• Dr. Kaitlin Campbell – Bees & Pollinators

Citizen science connects community members — students, teachers and nature enthusiasts — with real-world scientific research. By participating in these projects, you’ll help gather data that contributes to pollinator conservation, plant ecology and environmental awareness.

Ongoing Projects

The Great Pumpkin Project
Track pests, pollinators and pathogens affecting gourds and squash.

The Great Sunflower Project
Observe and record pollinator visits and flower preferences to understand pollinator behavior and biodiversity.

Bumblebee Watch & Bumblebee Boosters
Photograph and document bumblebee sightings to support national conservation efforts.

Crown Bees Native Bee House Project
Build and maintain bee homes to promote habitat health for native solitary bees.

Project Budburst
Collect seasonal data on plant life cycles (leafing, flowering, fruiting) to study climate change effects.

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Why It Matters

These projects are a fun, hands-on way to:

• Learn about local ecosystems

• Contribute to real research

• Make a meaningful environmental impact

Whether you're taking photos of bees, building habitats or measuring bloom times, your observations are valuable to the scientific community.