With an academic background in plant-pollinator community ecology from Saint Mary’s University (BSc Hons) and the University of British Columbia (MSc), Terrell has contributed to pollinator education and outreach through guest lectures at Acadia University (BIOL3243, BIOL4423), as well as many other outreach events at the UBC Botanical Garden. He launched the Harriet Irving Botanical Garden Native Bee Brochure at this year’s Native Plant Sale, and he is partnering with Acadia University students to lead bee walks this summer. 

Through her Master of Environmental Studies at Dalhousie, Emily is studying honey as a bioindicator of environmental health. Analyzing honey samples across Nova Scotia, she works towards spatial mapping to assess patterns of potential environmental pollution. 

Although her current research focuses on honey, her interest has long been in native wild bee species. During her BSc Honours in Biology at Dalhousie she studied bumble bee foraging preferences. Afterwards she spent a summer on Sable Island studying the endemic Sable Island sweat bee. She has also helped create naturalized pollinator spaces on Dalhousie campus, and lead the initiative to both Halifax and Dalhousie gaining Bee City and Bee Campus designations, respectively, through Bee City Canada. Overall, Emily enjoys being apart of community outreach to interact with the public on all things pollinators, especially our native bees.” 

Carys is conducting her masters research in Dr. Kirk Hillier’s lab, investigating the effects of insecticides used to treat hemlock woolly adelgid infestations on native insect biodiversity. Through collection of forest insects and chemical analysis of insect samples, her research aims to better understand how insecticide use and HWA-related forest change are effecting forest insect communities. Carys is passionate about science communication and community outreach, especially when it relates to insects, and through the bee walks she hopes to help dispel fear and foster an appreciation for all insects.

Sarah is a Master’s student at Acadia focusing on native plant conservation in the Canadian High Arctic as a member of Dr. Zoe Panchen’s lab. Her research aims to determine how increasing rainfall may impact plant communities long-term. She was previously part of Dr. Austen’s plants and pollinators lab at Mount Allison University, where she learned about native bees and discovered her love for the cute and often (but not always) fuzzy critters. She strongly believes that everyone can help conserve the native species on our doorstep, and that man small changes can altogether create action.