Exploring Environments - Stay Curious, Utah!
Join an NHMU educator and Alexandra Ponette-González, NHMU Curator of Urban Ecology, to explore how her research is developing new ecological questions focused on Salt Lake City. Discover what the study of Urban Ecology is, how trees and birds can help us learn about pollution in different cities, and understand the importance of urban trees.
Q&A with Alexandra Ponette-González - February 14, 2024
Alexandra Ponette-González, NHMU Curator of Urban Ecology, studies how changes in our atmosphere caused by fire, dust, urban pollution, and pests circle back to affect diverse ecosystems on land - from tropical forest to urban settings. With colleagues at multiple institutions across the US, she is currently working on two new projects. The first project examines equity and environmental justice in the planning and management of urban forests (including Salt Lake City). The second project shines a magnifying glass on the diverse suite of tiny particles, including soot and microplastics, that flow through forest canopies when it rains. In the near future, she plans to utilize museum-based collections to develop new ecological questions focused on Salt Lake City and surrounding regions.