UBC News, Dec 3, 2024, by Thandi Fletcher - "Michelle Tseng awarded a Wall Fellowship to support her research on butterflies and biodiversity in British Columbia"
Project: "Merging community science with computer vision to create biodiverse urban ecosystems throughout British Columbia"
Urban areas with healthy butterfly populations support beneficial wildlife like pollinators and birds. City spaces rich in biodiversity also enhance mental health and increase a sense of belonging for residents. This Wall Fellowship supports collaborations between ecologists, data scientists, non-profit environmental organizations, and butterfly enthusiasts across the province. Using butterfly data generated by community scientists and computer vision models, they will (a) develop tools to help people create butterfly-friendly habitats and assess their efficacy and (b) answer fundamental questions about how butterflies have responded to warming temperatures and habitat change. The Wall Fellowship thus helps create sustainable urban spaces and generates insights into the future of BC biodiversity.