This week, I talk with Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Maryland in the United States, and project director for the Bee Informed Partnership. A former acting Chief Apiarist in Pennsylvania, Dr. vanEngelsdorp is widely known for his influential work with bees on a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder.

In this episode, we discuss the wonderful world of bees and why bees matter.

We explore:

• The historical significance of bees and our evolving relationship with them
• What bees really are, what they do, and a few misconceptions surrounding bees
• Why bees matter for sustainability and why we can’t live without them
• The mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder
• What we can all do to directly support bees

Links

• ‘A plea for bees’ Dennis vanEngelsdorp TED Talk
• Bee informed Partnership – a collaboration of leading research labs and universities to better understand honey bee declines in the US.
• US Geological Society, Sam Droege Solitary Bee pictures, Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab
• ‘The first 21 days of a bee’s life’ Anand Varma - TED Timelapse
• The Xerces Society - international nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.
• Pollinator Partnership -promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research