The 2024 BEEvent Pollinator Conference was a great success!

This year’s speakers were engaging and exceptional. Recordings of the presentations are now available for $35.00 for all 5 presentations and one bonus presentation. Details about the presentations are listed below:

2024 Speakers

Dr. James Hung was the keynote speaker.

At the forefront of Dr. Hung’s research are studies of the impacts of climate change and invasive species on pollinators and plant pollinations.  Dr. Hung runs a research program focused on the conservation of pollinators and pollination services in a rapidly changing environment. His research includes refining techniques for effective monitoring of pollinator populations.

Bio: James Hung was born in Taiwan and grew up in Vancouver, BC. Dr. Hung has a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. From University of Califonia San Diego. He subsequently lived in Columbus and Toronto en route to his current position as an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma. He has a passion for turning students and lay community members into fellow conservation champions through outreach education.  

Additionally, we have the following speakers and topics on the agenda:

Conference Day Schedule

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0748/2140/2920/files/10th_Annual_BEEvent_Pollinator_Conference_agenda.pdf?v=1709153044

  • Pollinator Conservation in Garden Habitats

    Since 2016, the Garden Ecology Lab at Oregon State University has studied local gardens, as well as the gardeners who tend these unique spaces. What native plants attract the most bees and beneficial natural enemies? Do native cultivars retain the same benefits to wildlife as their native progenitors? Get the answers to these questions and others, and hear what we are planning to study next!

    Speaker: Gail Langellotto, Ph.D.

    Bio: Gail Langellotto is a Professor of Horticulture at Oregon State University, where she also leads the OSU Garden Ecology Lab. Her group studies the garden plants and gardening practices that support bee and other beneficial insects.

  • The ABCs of Hornets and Bees: What do you see in your garden?

    Dr. Heather Mattila will cover hornet species with an emphasis on the species known to establish outside their native ranges vs the common look-a-likes. Her research is focused on mechanisms of social communication and organization in honey bee colonies, including worker behavior, signal exchange, and the influence of genetic diversity, the microbiome, and nutrition on colony productivity. Recently, Dr. Mattila’s research program has expanded to examine these topics in bumble bees, Asian honey bees, and giant hornets.

    Speaker: Dr. Heather Mattila

    Bio: Heather Mattila has been a Professor of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College since 2009. She completed her Ph.D. in 2005 at the University of Guelph (Canada), where her research focused on the effects of nutritional stress on honey bee health and productivity. She subsequently completed a four-year postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University (USA), where her research shifted to an examination of the mating behavior by honey bee queens and its impact on the colonies that they produce. 

  • Honey Bee Health, Nutrition and Pollination

    Dr. Ramesh Sagili will give an update on his research on honey bee health, nutrition and pollination. Dr. Sagili’s research program addresses both basic and applied questions to improve honey bee health and nutrition, and the majority of his research projects are collaborative efforts involving stakeholders (beekeepers and growers).

    Speaker: Dr. Ramesh Sagili

    Bio: Dr. Sagili is a Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. He obtained his PhD in Entomology from Texas A&M University specializing in honey bee research. Dr. Sagili initiated the creation of Oregon Master Beekeeper Program and chaired the Oregon Governor’s Task Force on Pollinator Health. He was recently appointed to serve on the new 9-member USDA National Pollinator Subcommittee. He has authored several important research and extension publications and also received several awards including the Entomological Society of America’s Pacific Branch Research Award, Eastern Apicultural Society’s Outstanding Research Award and OSU Outreach and Engagement Award.

  • Oregon ‘Pollinator Paradise’ License Plate Artist

    Special Guest & Artist Marek Stanton is the young artist who won the competition to design the new pollinator plate. Marek makes detailed scientific drawings into art, and has donated a piece of his work to our onsite raffle.

  • Best Practices in Blue Orchard Mason Bee Management

    Linn County Master Gardener Rene Miller will cover the latest best practices for the Blue Orchard Mason Bee. Learn about a new invasive pest that is a major threat to the Mason Bee population in Oregon.