As we wrap up the season, we’d like to once again thank our 2014 sponsors, King Conservation District and the US Fish and Wildlife Connecting People with Nature Program. Our program connected with hundreds more people and we were able to reach goals that would not have been possible without their generous support. Thank you so much!
Hello UPP gardeners! Check out the “Instructional Videos” tab to find the new instructional videos we made showing you how to collect and submit data. Please watch them if you’re at all confused about how to collect your volume data and how to use our new data submission system! If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to email us and ask.
Hello UPP participants! In the coming days, please keep an eye on your email as we will be sending you important updates about your UPP tomato plants!
We have had to alter the set up of the plants and we will be going around and doing that at your p-patches over the next week if we haven’t done it already. You will receive an email when it happens explaining the changes and giving you updates on whether or not your p-patch will be receiving a bin with a tuning fork and graduated cylinder.
Thank you all so much for your patience and your hard work! You are all awesome!
UPP summer 2014 is officially underway!
We just got all the extra plants out to the seven p-patches who agreed to take them! We filled the entire 17 foot truck in the pictures with the plants. UPP this summer is officially underway! Thanks so much to all of our amazing participants. 
Come celebrate bees with the UW Beekeepers and UPP on June 19th!
Get your free tomato plant and participate!
On Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18, UPP will give away Sungold cherry tomato plants to Seattle P-Patch gardeners who would like to collect data for research on bees and crop yields in the city.
Interested? Follow this link to sign up and reserve your plant! UPP interns will provide research support you as you care for your plant and collect data on your tomatoes at the end of the season. Remember–you get to keep and eat all the tomatoes! We just want your data…
This year, UPP focuses on specific P-Patches in Seattle in order to collect data from gardens that have a wide spectrum of different characteristics. Gardeners from those P-Patches will get first priority for tomato plants. However, if your garden is not on the list below, we will still include you in the study if your P-Patch can recruit a minimum of 10 gardeners who commit to participating!
Belltown
Bradner Gardens Park
Colman Park
Delridge
Estelle St.
Haller Lake
Hawkins
Interbay
Jackson Park
Magnolia Manor
Magnuson
New Holly
Picardo
Ravenna
Republican
Thomas St.
UDistrict
UpGarden
Greetings, gardeners and bee lovers!
Spring has sprung in Seattle, and pollinator activity has surged (despite some cold rainy days). Look for Bombus vosnesenskii (classic black and yellow pattern) and Bombus melanopygus (beautiful dark gold abdomen) queens in your yard and along the street. Check out the Xerces Society’s ID guide on our “Resources for Citizen Scientists” tab above, and learn how to identify these beauties!
We will soon be announcing the tomato giveaway dates and locations for UPP’s third year of citizen science! Stay tuned for more information on how to help us collect data on bee abundance and diversity in Seattle, and the effects of pollinators on tomato yields.
Pollination Time with Doug: Episode 1
We’re launching a new series of monthly videos about fascinating plants and pollinators from all over the world starring the extremely knowledgeable University of Washington Greenhouse Manager, Doug Ewing!
Episode 1 is up right now and can be found by clicking the link below. Keep an eye on our Facebook account and Youtube channel for the monthly updates!
UPP’s Visit to McDonald International School
On November 14th and 15th, UPP Marie and Susan presented a pollination-oriented, hands-on curriculum at McDonald International School with 6 classes of 3rd and 4th graders. Here are some pictures of the event, all taken by our intern Emmi.
King Conservation District recently awarded UPP a $13000 grant to continue our work developing educational materials (about pollination, bee conservation, and more) and in working towards understanding how to increase sustainable crop yield with evidence-based conservation of native bees. We are VERY excited to receive this award. Thanks so much to King Conservation District for this incredible opportunity!
