Samantha Monier, PhD
monier.samantha@gmail.com
Pollination Biology
Recipient of a National Science Foundation REU, I spent a summer conducting pollination research all across Oregon state
Most of my time was spent at HJ Andrews Forest in the Cascades. I compared the rate of hummingbird to insect pollination as part of a larger study of the island biogeography of mountain meadows
Indian paintbrush
Swallowtail, feeding off of a western columbine
These exclosures were covered in mesh netting and placed over flower patches. This allowed for pollination by species small enough to fit through the mesh while excluding pollination by larger taxa
A great technique for making pollen slides in field: pump a jar full of CO2 (you can buy portable cartridges) and place your netted insect inside. With the insect knocked out, you can sample the pollen by swabbing it with a medium that can be melted down with a lighter onto the slide. The bee wakes up and flies away unharmed!
Field station in the Zumwalt Prairie
Painted hills
Lava fields
Modeling a “bee beard”, I’m sporting a pheromone necklace that make me smell like the queen. This attracts the bees while keeping me safe from stings (though you’ll notice the cotton up my nose and masking tape on my sleeves for extra protection). A female’s stinger is actually a modified ovipositor, so, male honey bees don't sting.
John Day Fossil Beds
Weekend trip to Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the US. You can see there was still snow in the ground in August!
Used to study rock slides, a machine at the top mixes together your ingredients (rocks, water, dirt, etc.) and releases it down the gridded slope
Tsunami simulator at Oregon State University
After netting, pinning and IDing insects on a daily basis, I left Oregon with all the skills I needed to start and maintain my own personal collection