HONEY BEE WATCH
Using Citizen Science to Study Free-Living Colonies
An initiative of COLOSS Survivors Task Force
CORE TEAM
ALEXIS BEAUREPAIRE
POSTDOCTORATE, UNIVERSITY BERN, INSTITUTE OF BEE HEALTH
Alexis is an evolutionary biologist, particularly interested in the study of coevolution and the interactions between hosts and parasites. His research involves a diverse range of disciplines, such as molecular biology and animal behavior. He started working on the interactions between honey bees and Varroa mites in 2011, at the beginning of his PhD.
Institute of Bee Health
POSTDOCTORATE, UNIVERSITY BERN, INSTITUTE OF BEE HEALTH
Alexis is an evolutionary biologist, particularly interested in the study of coevolution and the interactions between hosts and parasites. His research involves a diverse range of disciplines, such as molecular biology and animal behavior. He started working on the interactions between honey bees and Varroa mites in 2011, at the beginning of his PhD.
Institute of Bee Health
KEITH BROWNE
PHD CANDIDATE, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY IRELAND, GALWAY
Keith’s research aims to inform and protect both the honey bee and beekeeping. A lifetime armchair scientist, he began a PhD at the National University of Ireland, Galway on the molecular evolution of Ireland’s honey bees in 2014, under the tutelage of supervisor Prof. Grace McCormack (also a part of the Honey Bee Watch team). Focusing on influences on colony fitness, his work includes a national bee breeding program, types of pollen used by colonies in similar and disparate regions in Ireland, and the gut microbiota of honey bees. He is currently conducting a novel investigation into the ecology and survivorship of Ireland’s free-living honey bee colonies using citizen science. National University Ireland, Galway
PHD CANDIDATE, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY IRELAND, GALWAY
Keith’s research aims to inform and protect both the honey bee and beekeeping. A lifetime armchair scientist, he began a PhD at the National University of Ireland, Galway on the molecular evolution of Ireland’s honey bees in 2014, under the tutelage of supervisor Prof. Grace McCormack (also a part of the Honey Bee Watch team). Focusing on influences on colony fitness, his work includes a national bee breeding program, types of pollen used by colonies in similar and disparate regions in Ireland, and the gut microbiota of honey bees. He is currently conducting a novel investigation into the ecology and survivorship of Ireland’s free-living honey bee colonies using citizen science. National University Ireland, Galway
DR. PANUWAN CHANTAWANNAKUL
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, CHIANG MAI UNIVERSITY
Panuwan studies honey bee pathology and bee products in Thailand and South East Asia. She currently works at the Faculty of Science, CMU, where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology, supported by the Thai government. She finished her PhD in Microbiology at Cardiff University, UK, where she studied American foulbrood. In 2000, she took a post-doctoral post in Japan, working on protein crystallization, supported by the government. She established the Bee Protection Laboratory as a one-stop service for bee disease diagnosis and bee product development for local beekeeper communities in Thailand. Chiang Mai University
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, CHIANG MAI UNIVERSITY
Panuwan studies honey bee pathology and bee products in Thailand and South East Asia. She currently works at the Faculty of Science, CMU, where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology, supported by the Thai government. She finished her PhD in Microbiology at Cardiff University, UK, where she studied American foulbrood. In 2000, she took a post-doctoral post in Japan, working on protein crystallization, supported by the government. She established the Bee Protection Laboratory as a one-stop service for bee disease diagnosis and bee product development for local beekeeper communities in Thailand. Chiang Mai University
DANNY CLICERI
SCIENCE COORDINATOR, RESILIENT BEE PROJECT
FIXED-TERM RESEARCHER, EDMUND MACH FOUNDATION
Danny is a researcher in Sensory and Consumer Science at the Edmund Mach Foundation, working on the promotion of sustainable diets. He considers sacred every form of life and, therefore, is a convinced environmentalist. With bees he discovered a new and definitive contact point with Nature. He’s also a natural beekeeper and scientific coordinator of Resilient Bee Project in Italy, a national-scale project, aimed at studying and protecting wild colonies of honey bees. Resilient Bee Project | Edmund Mach Foundation
SCIENCE COORDINATOR, RESILIENT BEE PROJECT
FIXED-TERM RESEARCHER, EDMUND MACH FOUNDATION
Danny is a researcher in Sensory and Consumer Science at the Edmund Mach Foundation, working on the promotion of sustainable diets. He considers sacred every form of life and, therefore, is a convinced environmentalist. With bees he discovered a new and definitive contact point with Nature. He’s also a natural beekeeper and scientific coordinator of Resilient Bee Project in Italy, a national-scale project, aimed at studying and protecting wild colonies of honey bees. Resilient Bee Project | Edmund Mach Foundation
RAFFAELE DALL'OLIO
OWNER, BEESOURCES
Raffaele is 360° devoted to honey bees. After several years’ experience as a researcher, he decided to become a freelance consultant. Specialized in breeding and conservation, he strives to balance the needs of the beekeeping industry with those of the bees, always guided by a dedication to sustainability. When leveraging his master honey-sensory skills, he educates new consumers on this principle too. Raffaele is also a beekeeper, currently managing approximately 100 hives in Italy. BeeSources
OWNER, BEESOURCES
Raffaele is 360° devoted to honey bees. After several years’ experience as a researcher, he decided to become a freelance consultant. Specialized in breeding and conservation, he strives to balance the needs of the beekeeping industry with those of the bees, always guided by a dedication to sustainability. When leveraging his master honey-sensory skills, he educates new consumers on this principle too. Raffaele is also a beekeeper, currently managing approximately 100 hives in Italy. BeeSources
PAOLO FONTANA
TECHNOLOGIST, EDMUND MACH FOUNDATION
Paolo is a naturalist, entomologist, and apidologist. Born in Vicenza in 1965, he has always lived in Isola Vicentina (Veneto, Italy). After graduating in Agricultural Sciences and getting a PhD in Applied Entomology, he worked at the University of Padua until 2009, and since then at the Edmund Mach Foundation. He is the author of about 280 scientific and popular publications, as well as several monographs, including Il Piacere delle api (2017), which was published in English as The Joy of Bees in 2019. He has been a beekeeper for more than 30 years and recently founded a professional beekeeping company. Edmund Mach Foundation
TECHNOLOGIST, EDMUND MACH FOUNDATION
Paolo is a naturalist, entomologist, and apidologist. Born in Vicenza in 1965, he has always lived in Isola Vicentina (Veneto, Italy). After graduating in Agricultural Sciences and getting a PhD in Applied Entomology, he worked at the University of Padua until 2009, and since then at the Edmund Mach Foundation. He is the author of about 280 scientific and popular publications, as well as several monographs, including Il Piacere delle api (2017), which was published in English as The Joy of Bees in 2019. He has been a beekeeper for more than 30 years and recently founded a professional beekeeping company. Edmund Mach Foundation
DR. ROSA MARÍA LICÓN LUNA
PHD SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR, WILD BEES PROJECT & PROAPIA
As a veterinarian specialized in bee health, with a background in medical research and ecology, Rosa María believes that animal, human, and environmental health are inseparable, with bees being a great model of Nature conservation. The aim of the Wild Bees Project is to do a survey of all social, solitary, melliferous, and non-melliferous local bees in the study area that goes from the Jura Nature Reserve in France to the neighboring Geneva metropolitan area in Switzerland, given that Nature knows no political boundaries. Wild Bees Project | proApia
PHD SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR, WILD BEES PROJECT & PROAPIA
As a veterinarian specialized in bee health, with a background in medical research and ecology, Rosa María believes that animal, human, and environmental health are inseparable, with bees being a great model of Nature conservation. The aim of the Wild Bees Project is to do a survey of all social, solitary, melliferous, and non-melliferous local bees in the study area that goes from the Jura Nature Reserve in France to the neighboring Geneva metropolitan area in Switzerland, given that Nature knows no political boundaries. Wild Bees Project | proApia
DR. GRACE MCCORMACK
PERSONAL PROFESSOR, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY IRELAND, GALWAY
Grace McCormack is a Professor of Zoology at NUI Galway. Her interests lie in evolutionary biology and particularly in using molecular data to understand how organisms are related to each other and the impacts this may have on conservation and the evolution of organismal traits. Grace has been beekeeping for seven years and currently manages 15 colonies. She became interested in free-living colonies in 2015, and has been investigating their survival, diversity, and distribution since. She is interested both in conservation of Apis mellifera mellifera and resilience of untreated bees to Varroa and other challenges introduced by humans. National University Ireland, Galway
PERSONAL PROFESSOR, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY IRELAND, GALWAY
Grace McCormack is a Professor of Zoology at NUI Galway. Her interests lie in evolutionary biology and particularly in using molecular data to understand how organisms are related to each other and the impacts this may have on conservation and the evolution of organismal traits. Grace has been beekeeping for seven years and currently manages 15 colonies. She became interested in free-living colonies in 2015, and has been investigating their survival, diversity, and distribution since. She is interested both in conservation of Apis mellifera mellifera and resilience of untreated bees to Varroa and other challenges introduced by humans. National University Ireland, Galway
ARRIGO MORO
PHD CANDIDATE, UNIVERSITY BERN, INSTITUTE OF BEE HEALTH
Arrigo is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a beekeeper with more than 15 years of expertise in the professional sector. He is currently completing his PhD at the Institute of Bee Health at University Bern, where he is investigating the coevolutionary relationship between naturally surviving Western honey bees and their most important pest, Varroa destructor. Institute of Bee Health
PHD CANDIDATE, UNIVERSITY BERN, INSTITUTE OF BEE HEALTH
Arrigo is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a beekeeper with more than 15 years of expertise in the professional sector. He is currently completing his PhD at the Institute of Bee Health at University Bern, where he is investigating the coevolutionary relationship between naturally surviving Western honey bees and their most important pest, Varroa destructor. Institute of Bee Health
FABRICE REQUIER
RESEARCHER, EGCE LAB & UMR CNRS-IRD-UNIVERSITÉ PARIS-SACLAY
Fabrice is a researcher with an interest in agroecology and pollinator ecology. His research focuses on pollinator responses to changes in landscape structure, exposures to agrochemicals, and pressures from (invasive) biotic factors, and the subsequent implications for biological conservation and ecosystem services. For this he generally combines the use of lab experiments, field monitoring, and modelling techniques, and has a growing interest in inclusive socio-ecological approaches. His work is oriented towards applied perspectives, including the development of decision-support tools for informing environmental policies and stakeholders. EGCE Lab (Evolution Génome Comportement et Ecologie)
RESEARCHER, EGCE LAB & UMR CNRS-IRD-UNIVERSITÉ PARIS-SACLAY
Fabrice is a researcher with an interest in agroecology and pollinator ecology. His research focuses on pollinator responses to changes in landscape structure, exposures to agrochemicals, and pressures from (invasive) biotic factors, and the subsequent implications for biological conservation and ecosystem services. For this he generally combines the use of lab experiments, field monitoring, and modelling techniques, and has a growing interest in inclusive socio-ecological approaches. His work is oriented towards applied perspectives, including the development of decision-support tools for informing environmental policies and stakeholders. EGCE Lab (Evolution Génome Comportement et Ecologie)
STEVE ROGENSTEIN
FOUNDER, THE AMBEESSADORS
Steve is a bee advocate and environmental activist. He co-produced NYC Honey Week, co-founded BCN Honey Fest in Barcelona, was lead producer of the 2019 Learning from the Bees conference, organizes tree-beekeeping workshops in Berlin, and founded The Ambeessadors. The latter has the dual mission of connecting the bee community and spreading awareness of and appreciation for the importance of the bee — and other pollinators — through events, research, education, art, advocacy, and more. He also graduated from The College of the Melissae: Center for Sacred Beekeeping. The Ambeessadors
FOUNDER, THE AMBEESSADORS
Steve is a bee advocate and environmental activist. He co-produced NYC Honey Week, co-founded BCN Honey Fest in Barcelona, was lead producer of the 2019 Learning from the Bees conference, organizes tree-beekeeping workshops in Berlin, and founded The Ambeessadors. The latter has the dual mission of connecting the bee community and spreading awareness of and appreciation for the importance of the bee — and other pollinators — through events, research, education, art, advocacy, and more. He also graduated from The College of the Melissae: Center for Sacred Beekeeping. The Ambeessadors
ADELAIDE VALENTINI
FOUNDER & TEAM LEADER, RESILIENT BEE PROJECT
Adelaide states, "I’ve been living with honey bees since I was 4-years old. I am an organic beekeeper and breeder, trying to develop the most regenerative practices in order to make honey bees thrive on this beautiful planet. I’m an advocate for regeneration of both soil and communities alike, and my goal is to rewild honey bees and humans back into the wild." Resilient Bee Project
FOUNDER & TEAM LEADER, RESILIENT BEE PROJECT
Adelaide states, "I’ve been living with honey bees since I was 4-years old. I am an organic beekeeper and breeder, trying to develop the most regenerative practices in order to make honey bees thrive on this beautiful planet. I’m an advocate for regeneration of both soil and communities alike, and my goal is to rewild honey bees and humans back into the wild." Resilient Bee Project
RESEARCH PARTNERS
RESILIENT BEE PROJECT ITALY
Resilient Bee Project is creating a network of guardian beekeepers, who will take care of colonies. Wild bees are the only ones who have the secret against varroa mite.
Resilient Bee Project is creating a network of guardian beekeepers, who will take care of colonies. Wild bees are the only ones who have the secret against varroa mite.
WILD BEES PROJECT FRANCE
The specific aim of the Wild Bees Project is to conduct the first citizen-science demographic study in the area between France's Jura Nature Reserve and Geneva's metropolitan area by geo-localizing unmanaged honey bee nests, taking photographs of non-melliferous bees for their identification, and involving the general public and a team of experts.
WILD HONEY BEE STUDY IRELAND
The National University of Ireland, Galway is studying wild honey bees to discover the number and distribution of their colonies in order to devise conservation strategies. In conjunction with the National Biodiversity Data Centre, citizen scientists have been invited to extend the study and discover what wealth of wild honey bees are in Ireland.
The National University of Ireland, Galway is studying wild honey bees to discover the number and distribution of their colonies in order to devise conservation strategies. In conjunction with the National Biodiversity Data Centre, citizen scientists have been invited to extend the study and discover what wealth of wild honey bees are in Ireland.
Contacts
Project Lead: Steve Rogenstein (The Ambeessadors)
Science Coordinator: Arrigo Moro (Universität Bern)
Survivors TF Coordinator: Raffaele Dall'Olio (BeeSources)
COLOSS President: Peter Neumann (Universität Bern)
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Institute of Bee Health
Vetsuisse Faculty
University of Bern
Schwarzenburgstrasse 161
3003 Bern, Switzerland
