Meet the 2023 Tech Transfer Program Team

By the Alberta Tech Transfer Program team

The Tech Transfer Program (TTP) is proud to present our team for the 2023 beekeeping season. Each member will be in the field working hard to sample colonies for all those who have registered to participate in the Colony Health Monitoring (CHM) program. This sampling will be important for assessing colony health and advising on pest management decisions. Give us a wave if you see any of our TTP team members in the field!

Nicole McCormick TTP Technician

Hello there! I am Lynae Ovinge, and I am happy to be the TTP lead while covering for Renata Labuschagne’s maternity leave. I have a M.Sc. degree studying treatments for Varroa mites and I spent 8 awesome years researching bee health and pollination with Dr. Shelley Hoover in Lethbridge. I began beekeeping on Jerry Poelman’s extraction line and moving hives into pollination, so I’m one of very few honeybee researchers who began their careers in commercial beekeeping. My husband and I have an Australian shepherd, three horses, and two kids - 5 and 1 ½ - who keep us busy and entertained!

Heather Anderson

Hello Alberta Beekeepers, my name is Nicole, and I am the full-time technician for the Tech Transfer Program. I started with the TTP in the summer of 2020 as a summer technician and loved it so much that I came back again the following summer! In 2022 after I graduated I was able to start a full-time position with the TTP covering Emily Olson’s maternity leave. I graduated from the University of Alberta with a BSc degree in Animal Health majoring in Food Animals. Prior to starting with the TTP, I had very little apiculture experience. However, over the past few summers I have learned so much through all the hands-on work and research that we do, and of course working alongside Renata Labuschagne. I always knew that I wanted to work with livestock, but I never expected that the livestock would be honey bees! I am very grateful that this opportunity fell into my lap as I have not only enjoyed learning and working with bees everyday, but I have also really enjoyed getting to know Alberta’s beekeepers and the industry they are so dedicated to. It has been a great experience being part of the TTP over the years and I am very excited to have yet another successful season!

Hi there, my name is Heather and I'm a student majoring in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at the University of Alberta. I chose this field of study because I have always loved nature and aspired to be a botanist. Thus, I started my university career by taking all the botany courses available to fulfill my curiosities. Throughout my first two years, I became more interested in the complex relationships between plants and insects, causing me to take an entomology course. While I have always appreciated insects, I never realized I wanted to study them until I took an introductory entomology course where I became fascinated with pollinators and their connection to plants. Parasitic insects are also incredible with their unique and complex life cycles, often involving plants. Since I also have a deep love for art, I started to draw all things plants and insects, fueling my passion even more. To learn more, I wanted to find a job opportunity working with pollinators, especially honey bees, due to their presence and importance in agriculture. So, I found the Tech Transfer Program! This will be my second summer working for the Tech Transfer Program, learning everything I can about honey bees and their health!

Drew Walker TTP Summer Technician

Kayla deJong TTP Summer Technician

Hello Alberta bee lovers! This is my first year as an Apiculture Technician with the Alberta Beekeeper’s Tech Transfer Program. I became certified in Beekeeping and Integrated Pest Management in 2020 and am delighted to be putting the theory into practice this summer. Since graduating from the University of Alberta in 2017, I’ve visited 8 new countries and have enjoyed a diverse selection of seasonal jobs in that time. From being a heritage gardener to a blueberry picker; from a tractor driver to a lab technician on a hops farm; from a plant propagator to a poet (Confines of a Free Spirit, 2020), among others! I love to work in nature, with nature, and for nature. Most recently, I managed workshop programs and community relations for a local greenhouse group in the Edmonton area. I am passionate about regenerative agriculture, with a particular interest in native plants and sustainable systems. I strive to align my career with my personal values and welcome each learning opportunity along the way. Come September, I am delighted to be heading back to school to study Landscape Architecture at NAIT. I look forward to connecting with some local beekeepers over the summer – come say hi!

Hi, my name is Kayla, and I am one of this summer’s student technicians! I am in my third year of a BSc in Conservation Biology at the University of Alberta. I have always had an interest in insects and became especially fascinated by honey bees after taking my first entomology class. This is my first year with the Tech Transfer Program, but I have worked with honey bees for the past two years as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Olav Rueppell’s lab at the University of Alberta. There I primarily focused on egg size and body size work, but also had the opportunity to help with a number of other projects, including ones focused on queen quality and queen behavior. When I am not in a bee suit, I enjoy reading, hiking and most outdoors activities. This summer, I am excited to continue to work with bees and to do so in a different, apiculture-oriented context. I am looking forward to learning more about bee health and the problems facing beekeepers and am excited to be involved with the TTP’s on-the-ground work!

This year we also have teams in southern and northern Alberta helping sample local beekeepers for the CHM program. In the south helping us out is Shelley Hoover’s team from the University of Lethbridge including Jeff Kearns, Leslie Holmes, and Jemma Todoschuk. In the north helping us out is Elena Battle from the National Bee Diagnostic Center. If you see any of them out in the field, feel free to say hi! We hope to see you around!

The Alberta Beekeepers Commission is pleased to announce the launch of the 2023 ABC Bursary.

Over the past five year’s, the ABC has contributed over $13,000 towards supporting the education and skills development of 14 Alberta individuals who are actively involved in beekeeping or pursuing a career in an area that impacts beekeeping.

Building on the Commission's commitment to supporting the advancement of the Alberta beekeeping industry, we’re pleased to announce the launch of the 2023 bursary fund, offering individuals in the beekeeping industry to opportunity to secure one of THREE $1000 bursaries.

The ABC Bursary is open to Alberta residents who are actively involved in beekeeping, intend to pursue a future in beekeeping or intend to pursue a career in an area that may impact beekeeping (e.g. pathology, research or agronomy).

Preference will be given to family members of ABC Eligible Producers and to those intending to pursue a career in commercial beekeeping or beekeeping research that has a direct benefit to industry.

Enter Your Alberta Honey and Hive Products in the 2023 Alberta Honey & Hive Contest and be in the Running to win Over $1000 in Cash Prizes!

The ABC has partnered with Farmfair International to bring you the 2023 Alberta Honey Show where a panel of experienced judges will determine the cream (and liquid and flavoured!) of the crop of honey and hive products being locally produced by Alberta beekeepers.

There are five classes of entry plus an overall ‘Best in Show’ class that includes $500 in prize money.

Classes of entry include:

• Liquid Honey

• Creamed Honey

• Flavoured Honey

• Hive Products – Personal Care: lip balm, body butter, etc.

• Hive Products – Innovation: bees wax wraps, fire starters, furniture polish etc.

For all the information on how to submit your entries, classes, criteria, and prize money, please visit www.albertabeekeepers.ca/2023-alberta-honey-hive-products-contest/ to view the 2023 Alberta Honey Show Fairbook.

2023 AGM, CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW

November 29 - December 1, 2023 | Edmonton, Alberta

Join us November 29 – December 1, 2023, for the annual ABC AGM Conference & Trade Show event, taking place at the Fantasyland Hotel, Edmonton

The theme for this year’s conference is Building Back Beekeeping, and we are pleased to present an engaging line-up of speakers and presenters who will share their expertise and offer practical strategies to tackle some of the shared challenges beekeepers face across North America.

From the latest in honey bee health research, to sharing unique regional and international experiences and colony health management strategies, this year’s event aims to refresh your existing knowledge, and share potential alternative strategies to help you build back a stronger, healthier beekeeping operation

Sponsorship & Trade Show

Alberta is the largest honey producing province in Canada, and third largest honey producer in North America

Take this opportunity to engage with commercial beekeepers in Alberta in person and highlight your brand, products, and services through one of our trade show and sponsorship opportunities. Visit our website now to secure your spot!

Speakers