Bug2School: Growing diversity within urban gardens and beyond

Flowering plant diversity in urban gardens supports a robust community of beneficial insects that suppress crop pests. However, many urban gardens are established at sites depauperate in blooms. With support from a network of school and community gardens in Urbana-Champaign Illinois, we examine how augmenting floral resources with blooming ground cover within beds influences pest control services, and how natural enemy responses to floral groundcover varies along a gradient of floral resource availability in the surrounding environment. A diverse team of undergraduate researchers in the ‘Bug2School’ program combine research/education experiences with community service in urban gardens to meet stewardship needs while making their research accessible to children and the greater public. We’ll showcase results of our research alongside some of the many teachable moments created by students in the Bug2School program.