Here's Professor Laurence Packer from 91��ɫ’s Department of Biology in the on what you can do to help the world’s bees in your backyard:

Packer travels the world tracking many of the 19,500 described species of wild bees. While his perspective is international, Packer’s backyard is a great example of a bee-friendly space and is featured in the video. He is also the author of . All proceeds form his book will be directed toward bee conservation research.

In 2010, Packer was featured on CBC’s The Nature of Things, hosted by David Suzuki. The episode, “”, highlights dramatic declines in North America’s wild bee and honey bee populations, and explores what the disappearance and decline of these insects tells us about larger ecological problems. The episode is also available for download on. Packer’s segment runs from the 3:30 mark through to 6:30.

PhD student Jason Gibbs, who works in Packer’s laboratory and has collaborated with him on research publications, also recently made national news headlines by documenting 19 new bee species, one of which he discovered during his commute from downtown Toronto to 91��ɫ.

To read more about their work, visit Packer’s Website or search for past stories in the Research News archive using the and tags.

Packer's research is funded by the (NSERC) and the (CFI).

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

Video production by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, Elizabeth Teodorini, alumni communications manager, and Robert Denault and Perry Walker in the Learning Technology Services unit.

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"There are hundreds of bee species in B.C., but this one appears to live in only one spot in the world and that's at Ripley Lake west of Oliver," said Best, who named the bee to honour the grandfather of his research partner, Graeme Stevens.

. . .

Best, a student of Professor of 91��ɫ’s , said the greatest concern of researchers today is the steady loss of bees.

“A lot have been dying due to pesticides and disease. The western bumblebee – the bigger yellow, black and white fuzzy bee found in Prince George gardens – is greatly endangered and disappearing quickly. They are already gone from the western United States,” said Best. “We’re not exactly sure why, but we suspect they are dying off due to disease introduced through other bumblebees used for greenhouse pollination.”

Packer is the author of .

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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You can listen to the interview on . The clip runs approximately 10 minutes.

Here's what Quirks & Quarks had to say about it:

That constant buzzing noise coming from South Africa these days makes Dr. Laurence Packer think of his true passion. He's a Canadian melittologist, which means that when he hears buzzing, he thinks of "the beautiful insect" rather than "the beautiful game." Dr. Packer studies bees, and in his latest book, he dispels a lot of myths - for instance, not all bees sting, not all bees make honey, and not all bees live in social colonies - and he warns that unless we do more to save the bees, we risk losing many of our food crops.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

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Packer will present findings outlined in his which grew out of the Canadian pollination research initiative spearheaded by the biology professor.

Packer has charted the movement of more than 800 species of bees in North America and identified an alarming decline in their population, causing enormous deficits in pollen transfer and affecting our food supply and ecosphere.

The lecture, presented by A Different Drummer Books, begins at 7pm at Burlington Central Library, 2331 New St. Tickets cost $10 and may be purchased at the library or at A Different Drummer Books, 513 Locust St.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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