FARMINGTON — Sarah Haggerty, a conservation biologist/GIS manager for Maine Audubon in Falmouth, will be the guest speaker at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9 in Thomas Auditorium, Preble Hall, at the University of Maine – Farmington.
Haggerty will discuss her current research project studying Maine insect populations. The talk is open and free to the public.
Several studies in recent years have documented significant declines in insect populations in various parts of the world. If this phenomenon is widespread, it could have an important cascading impact on ecosystem function, Haggerty said. Maine Audubon, Maine Entomological Society and MDIFW are interested in exploring this question by compiling and examining existing data on insect populations in Maine.
A logical first step is to review available insect data that might be valuable for evaluating long term population trends in Maine, so Sarah and her team reached out to over 150 entomologists and ecologists across the state to gather data and partners for this endeavor.
Haggerty attended Bowdoin College, earning an udergraduate biology degree, and earned a master of science degree in wildlife and fisheries conservation from the University of Massachusetts. Between her undergraduate degree at Bowdoin and her return to Maine, she worked with various government agencies and non-profits in the realm of wildlife and fisheries conservation.
