Lisa Mason

Lisa is the horticulture specialist and entomologist for CSU Extension in Arapahoe County. She started Native Bee Watch in 2016 for her Master’s Degree in entomology at Colorado State University. In 2019, she brought Native Bee Watch to CSU Extension when she started her position.

Lisa enjoys bringing science education to communities on pollinators, insects, trees, plants, gardening, home landscape care, and ecology. Her research interests include using community science to support pollinator conservation. Lisa is passionate about the Native Bee Watch program because it incorporates education, research, and on-the-ground community work—all important components needed to support pollinator conservation.

Jill Zarestky

Jill Zarestky, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Adult Education and Training program in the School of Education at Colorado State University. Her research interests include informal STEM education and issues of sustainability.

For Jill, NBW brings together the ecological and social strategies to address meaningful issues in our gardens, communities, and Colorado. 

Lauren Vilen

Lauren Vilen, M.Ed., is a doctoral student in the School of Education at CSU. Her research interests include adult teaching and learning, professional identity, environmental adult education, and community-based education.

Lauren’s professional background includes public lands management and non-profit program management, where she developed and implemented service-learning programs and provided young adults with training and education focused on environmental stewardship and job readiness in the natural resource field.

Lauren is excited about being part of Native Bee Watch because she believes in lifelong science and environmental learning, and that everyone can contribute to improving pollinator habitat.

Arathi Seshadri

Dr. Arathi Seshadri is a Research Entomologist at the USDA ARS Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit and the Lead Scientist at the Honey bee health lab in Davis, California.

Arathi is a pollination biologist with expertise in pollinator behavior, pollination ecology, plant-pollinator mutualisms and plant reproductive strategies. Her contributions include demonstrating the impact of plant traits and responses on honeybee health, developing agroecosystem-based approaches for pollinator sustainability on farmland, ecological applications to conserve pollinators in rangelands and citizen science programs to support pollinators in urban areas.

Julia Lankisch

CSU Extension Intern, 2025

Julia is a CSU master’s student pursuing her degree in Environmental Leadership. She received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH) in 2023, where her research focused on invasive insect monitoring and management. Her thesis research explores the collaborative governance of wildlife connectivity in Summit County, CO.

Julia’s interest in entomology started with beetles and true bugs, but her work in urban agriculture has caused her to appreciate and venture into the big (and tiny) wide world of bees. She is very grateful for this opportunity to connect with volunteers across the Front Range and learn from the amazing Native Bee Watch team.