Leslie Saul-Gershenz wears a few hats, but they all involve insects — especially bees. She’s not a beekeeper, though she is fond of the arthropods. She’s studied them for 25 years.
Saul-Gershenz, 70, of San Francisco, is a research scientist at UC Davis, where she earned her Ph.D. in entomology and nematology and taught undergrads about the natural history of insects. She serves as associate director of research of the Wild Energy Initiative at the John Muir Institute of the Environment and director of conservation and research at SaveNature.org in San Francisco. Saul-Gershenz’s work often takes her out into the field, where she can get up close and personal with ground-nesting native bees.
J.: How did you become interested in the study of insects?
Leslie Saul-Gershenz. (Photo/Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Leslie Saul-Gershenz: I was always interested in nature, even as a kid….