Event Highlight: PSU Bee Research Featured in PBS The Human Footprint Series

A pre-release screening and panel discussion of the Emmy-nominated PSU series The Human Footprint: “The Honey Trap” (Episode 4) was held at the Schlow Library on July 9, 2025. Leading the screening and discussion were film director and writer Leil Losin (Day’s Edge Productions), Penn State Center for Pollinator Research and Insect Biodiversity Center faculty member Margarita López-Uribe, and WPSU representatives. The episode includes scenes from the Lopez-Uribe lab at Penn State and the Frost Entomology Museum.

The Honey Trap episode aired on July 16, 2025 and is available to stream for free through pbs.org and the PBS application until August 14, 2025 ((https://www.pbs.org/video/the-...). This episode features segments on how bees have been impacted by their interactions with humans. It includes a section on how squash-specialized bees have spread with agriculture, presented by the López-Uribe lab at Penn State. Other stories include the mass honey bee transport for almond pollination in California, recent commercial development of ground nesting solitary bees for alfalfa pollination in Washington, and a network of beekeepers utilizing abandoned properties in Detroit.

The screening event also included exhibits and informational materials by the Center for Pollinator Research and the Frost Museum. During the Q&A session the audience learned more about bee biology, how to support bees, their importance for pollination, and the filming of the episode.