Butterfly nets, rain boots, clear vials, and coolers filled with ice—these were just a few of the tools Abigail Gill, a biological sciences and environmental science and management double major from Lincoln, Rhode Island, relied on during her summer research into the pollination ecology of cultivated and wild cranberry plants.
During her CELS Summer Research Fellowship, Gill worked with The URI Bee Lab, which studies the biology and behavior of native and managed bees in Rhode Island. Collaborating with Ren Johnson and Kate Perzanowski, she trekked to cranberry bogs across the state to survey and collect bees. Back in the lab, the team analyzed their samples, preparing to examine pollen under the microscope to determine flower fidelity (how closely the bees stick to cranberry blossoms).
Gill also contributed to a project with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, visiting eleven managed pollinator meadows throughout Rhode Island. Alongside fellow researchers Casey Johnson and Emma Tondre, she surveyed blooming flowers, measured vegetation, and captured solitary bees for later identification, helping assess how effectively these meadows support pollinator populations.
Gill credits the fellowship’s hands-on nature for strengthening her versatility and passion as a researcher. “There’s such a dedicated community around bee and insect conservation,” she says. “It’s been rewarding to engage people at outreach events and get them excited about what we do. There’s so much to discover when you take the time to slow down and look closely.”
Looking ahead, Gill hopes to continue studying bee conservation and pollination ecology. “Understanding how plants and insects interact is endlessly fascinating,” she says. “Being able to contribute to such an important and often underrecognized cause is something I appreciate every day.”
Notably, Gill and Johnson’s research earned recognition beyond URI: the duo received second place honors from both Arizona’s Entomological Society of America and the URI Undergraduate Symposium for their study of the cranberry’s life history in Rhode Island—where they also identified two bee species never before recorded in the state.