North Carolina Space Grant Fellow Pursues Pollinator Research
As a North Carolina Space Grant Graduate Research Fellow, Gwen Kirschke is shooting for the stars — but not in the way you might think.
At the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Crested Butte, Colorado, Kirschke, a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. in geospatial analytics at NC State University, is pairing traditional boots-on-the-ground pollinator monitoring methods with aerial imagery captured by the U.S National Science Foundation’s National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Airborne Observation Platform. Her goal is to create a floral resources map of the East River valley in Colorado and determine if it can accurately predict ecological factors such as the nesting rates of bees.
This fellowship is awarded to graduate students conducting research in STEM fields related to NASA Mission Directorates. Kirschke’s project represents NASA Science, which “seeks to discover the secrets of the universe … and protect and improve life on Earth and in space.”
The 2025 field season was Kirschke’s sixth visit to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. She previously studied floral nectar production as an undergraduate student and later worked as a research technician on related pollinator projects. Kirschke’s interest in geospatial analytics and pollination pairs perfectly with the interests of her advisor, Applied Ecology Associate Professor Elsa Youngsteadt, who studies plant-insect interactions on a landscape level.
Read the full article on cals.ncsu.edu
Image Credit: NC State University
Author Credit: Heather Frantz
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