My Profile Photo is the southern plains bumble bee in my pollinator habitat visiting cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum).

Hi, I’m Wilson. I have a Master of Science Degree from Eastern Illinois University, where I studied under Dr. Michael Goodrich. My studies were a mixture of Botany and Zoology. My thesis work involved identifying and developing a key for the species of Brachiacantha (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) occurring in Illinois. The only Brachiacantha species, occurring north of Mexico, I did not examine museum specimens of were B. floridensis, B. lepida and B. soltaui. I also did curatorial work on the Coccinellidae in the E.I.U. Insect Collection.

View my thesis:
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2783&context=theses

View my publication: https://www.zin.ru/animalia/coleoptera/ADDPAGES/Andrey_Ukrainsky_Library/References_files/Montgomery02.pdf

I was an active Beespotter volunteer for the University of Illinois from 2017 to mid 2020 when I experienced a major shift in focus. At that time I discovered Warbler Ridge Conservation Area, near Charleston, Illinois, and Grand Prairie Friends. I soon became a Warbler Ridge, Champion Volunteer helping with promotion, restoration projects, invasive species removal and particularly their Prairie/Wetland/Pollinator Habitat Reconstruction Project. I also upload observations of all the species I find to their Biodiversity of Warbler Ridge Conservation Area iNaturalist Project.

To learn about BeeSpotters:
https://beespotter.org/

For info about Grand Prairie Friends visit:
https://www.grandprairiefriends.org/about-us

Read about Warbler Ridge Conservation Area here:
https://www.grandprairiefriends.org/Preserves/Warbler-Ridge-Conservation-Area

In my spare time I find and collect seeds or cutttings of native plants from the wilds of Clark County, Illinois for my pollinator habitat. These observations also go to iNaturalist. I currently have 50+ prairie and woodland species. I am quite passionate about the conservation of our native species in general.

SAVE THE PLANET, SAVE HUMANITY