Teen SciCafe: Programming for Pests

Saturday, January 12, 2019

3 pm

Camera Ford stands next to an exhibit in the Museum's Hall of Biodiversity.
Camera Ford 
R. Mickens/© AMNH

Speaker: Camera Ford, BridgeUP: STEM Helen Fellow 2017–19

People living in most areas of the Solomon Islands rely heavily on farming for both sustenance and income. Over the last several years, farmers in the rural communities Vurana and Zaira have seen a sharp increase in devastating crop destruction caused by a local garden pest, a moth called Herpetogramma hipponalis.

Working with the Museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, Camera Ford researches ways to lessen this destruction and preserve local agriculture by building a computer model that simulates the pest population in the community’s garden plots based on different environmental scenarios. Uncover how computers can investigate bug behavior thousands of miles from the lab, and how scientists are using data visualization software to find new solutions for issues facing our changing world.

Representatives from our BridgeUP: STEM Brown Scholars program will be on hand to answer questions about coding and mentoring opportunities for teen girls. Find out how you can get involved with research at the Museum.

Audience:

Students 14 and over

(Adults 21 and over should RSVP for our monthly SciCafe events.)

Questions:

[email protected]

Support for Youth Initiatives is provided by The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation.

Support for middle school programs is provided by Con Edison.

BridgeUp: STEM is generously supported by a grant from the Helen Gurley Brown Trust.