2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast

Welcome back to the 2 Million Blossoms Podcast! In this special relaunch episode, host Kirsten Traynor sits down with Jeff Ott from the Beekeeping Today Podcast. They delve into Kirsten's recent adventures in Germany and the fascinating honey bee research she's been involved in. During the tumultuous times of the Covid pandemic, Kirsten seized an exciting opportunity to advance her research in apiculture and moved to Germany. Now based at the University of Hohenheim in Baden-Württemberg, she serves as the Director of the State Institute of Bee Research. In her conversation with Jeff, Kirsten shares insights into the groundbreaking research she and her team are conducting, offering a glimpse into the world of honey bee science. This week marks a special occasion as Kirsten returns to the United States to attend the American Beekeeping Federation Annual Conference. She will also be presenting with her students at the American Bee Research Conference, showcasing their latest findings. Tune in to this episode to catch up with Kirsten and gear up for the upcoming episodes of the 2 Million Blossoms Podcast, where the world of pollinators is explored like never before! ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC Copyright © 2024 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

Adrian Fisher has been investigating the impacts of fungicides on honey bee health. Fungicides are often considered bee safe, because they don’t outright kill adult bees. But Adrian has found some troubling sub-lethal effects, especially on honey bee lifespan. In today’s show we chat about how Pristine, a common pesticide used in almonds leads to precocious foraging and shorter-lived bees. We also delve into his earlier research where he investigated how varroacide residues in beeswax reduce the sperm viability of the drones reared in those cells. Finally, we talk about some of the hurdles minorities face when trying to enter the field of science and Adrian gives kudos to the many mentors, who have helped him make a career in science and how he has used his postdoc time to become a more well-rounded scientist. _________________ We thank Betterbee for their sponsorship of today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of a bee? How they perceive the world and learn to understand the landscape? On today’s episode, Kirsten talks with noted neurobiologist and bee scientist Lars Chittka from the University of London, whose new book The Mind of a Bee is a fascinating exploration of how bees think. They delve into how the barren landscape outside Berlin let him manipulate the landscape and see that bees could count. Bees are fast learners and can gleam details about how to survive from watching other bees. Also in today’s show, Kirsten and Lars delve into the darker side of science and the toll it can take on human lives when career expectations and reality collide. Preorder your copy of the book today, set to release late in July, 2022. _________________ We thank Betterbee for their sponsorship of today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC

Today’s episode features Jess Vickruck, a wild bee scientist working in New Brunswick in Canada. In addition to converting the sunny spots in her garden into bee habitat, she studies competition in wild bee communities. She’s studied carpenter bees in detail, finding that when nest sites become rare, competition drives females to share nests. But there’s a unique catch. They preferentially select unrelated females. She also investigates the important role that grasslands play in maintaining the function of wild bee diversity across Canada. We chat about her career in pollinator science and how her work with conservation groups has allowed access to unique long-term data about changes in habitat. Tune in to learn more about the importance of nesting sites and how bees help shape our landscapes. Jess Vickruck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessvickruck _________________ We thank Betterbee for their sponsorship of today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC

In this episode, podcast host Kirsten Traynor reflects on what are the characteristics of a great scientist and the mentors, who have helped her succeed in her own career. She discusses some of her early failures, how she questions her own place in science, how women face certain biases, and why she is once again switching jobs. Additionally, she digs into a recent paper on pesticide residues in urban and suburban environments. To read the Twitter moment mentioned in the episode, where a male and female colleague swap email signatures for two weeks with (un)surprising results, visit:  https://twitter.com/i/events/839950218099576832 _________________ We thank Betterbee for their sponsorship of today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC

In this episode, Kirsten talks with Monika Maeckle. Monika runs the Texas Butterfly Ranch, which is more a state-of-mind than a physical place. She is a writer, Master Gardener, pollinator enthusiast and has tagged countless Monarchs that pass through the famous Texas funnel on their journey south. Monika and Kirsten chat about the migratory path of monarchs, how their incredible journey turned into an inspiration during the Covid pandemic, and how we can all improve the plight of these beautiful butterflies. Note, we briefly discussed the incredible rebound of the western population, which migrates along the California coast. The population had crashed to about 2,000 butterflies in 2020, but miraculously leapt back up to viability with almost 250,000 butterflies in 2021. No one is quite sure why and if the population will hold steady, as insect populations are notoriously volatile. Tune in to learn more. For more information, check out: texasbutterflyranch.com https://texasbutterflyranch.com/2022/01/27/monarch-butterfly-population-volatile-unpredictable-with-a-ray-of-hope/ If you liked today’s episode, click on the link to follow us and never miss an episode! _____________________ We thank Betterbee for their sponsorship of today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, BetterBee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC

Fran Mahoney is crazy about elephants. And to help protect elephants, she’s enlisted the help of over 144 honey bee colonies. In Tanzania, elephants face massive poaching threats. Subsistence farmers often turn in elephants to poachers, because they fear the hungry mammals will destroy their crops. Fran Mahoney founded Wild Survivors to create sustainable solutions to human-elephant conflict. In today’s show, learn more about her creative solution using honey bees that is turning farmers into elephant advocates and beekeepers. _____________________ We thank Betterbee for their sponsorship of today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, BetterBee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Elke Genersch a microbiologist from the Institute for Bee Research in Hohen Neuendorf outside Berlin, Germany. She switched from cancer research into honey bee diseases about 20 years ago and has made a name for herself investigating how American Foulbrood and Deformed Wing Virus function. We delve into the details of this bacterial disease and how varroa mites have allowed viruses to change, using the current Corona pandemic to help explain parallels. So, if you geek out on detailed scientific explanations and want to understand a bit more about molecular biology, tune into this detailed episode with one of Europe’s leading honey bee virologists. _____________________ Learn more about the 2 Million Blossoms and about protecting our pollinators at: https://www.2millionblossoms.com/ _____________________ We thank Betterbee for their sponsorship of today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, BetterBee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC

Dear Listeners: As you may know, I launched my print magazine 2 Million Blossoms with exuberance and crazy enthusiasm. Since I first dreamt up the magazine in 2019, I have produced two years of magazines, four issues in 2020 and another four issues in 2021. All together over 800 pages entirely about pollinators. Many late nights after I stopped working on my “real job”, the one that pays my bills, I spent countless hours to hone, smooth, and delineate the content of 2 Million Blossoms. My goal always to help authors clearly communicate their stories. Judging from reader reactions, the magazine has been hugely successful, often read cover to cover. Despite my best efforts, multiple forces have worked against me resulting in the difficult decision that the autumn issue is my final quarterly issue. But don’t despair! When one door closes, another opens. And I am taking some time to reflect and reboot. 2 Million Blossoms won’t disappear. Rather I plan to refocus and restrategize. Unlike newspapers, the content we publish is timeless. Instead of seeking annual subscribers, I will instead focus on creating standalone issues and books on specific themes. This podcast will definitely continue, as I believe we need more discussions on sustainability and how we can green our planet. In addition to refocusing on the podcast, I will build out my 2 Million Blossoms email newsletter, working to bring you relevant content and my own interpretation of the latest pollinator science every month. My hope with both the Newsletter and 2 Million Blossoms – The Podcast was and continues to be to build a bridge between science and practice, to distill complicated topics into entertaining stories that don’t dumb down the detail. What I try to bring to both my readers and listeners is an eclectic mix of science, art, and culture. I try to highlight the diverse voices involved in protecting our pollinators and our planet, often reaching out to up and coming scientists, less heard voices, and people with unique backgrounds. We need diverse perspectives because we all approach fact finding with our own inherent biases. When the only ones asking the questions share a similar background, the blinders of their upbringing cause them to miss out on different interpretations. I thank you sincerely for joining me in this journey thus far. Here is to a revamped version of 2 Million Blossoms, where we can celebrate the many ways we are helping pollinators survive and thrive. Don’t be afraid to dig in the dirt! _____________________ Learn more about the 2 Million Blossoms and about protecting our pollinators at: https://www.2millionblossoms.com/ _____________________ We thank Betterbee for their sponsorship of today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, BetterBee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC

Have you ever wondered about the bee biodiversity in other countries? In this episode, meet Dr. Michael Orr, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, where he has worked for the last three years. Michael is a taxonomist and ecologist, who has studied the aggregations of the sandstone excavating bee, the tiny Anthophora pueblo. Listen as Kirsten talks with Michael and learn why these bees spend so much time and energy to create nest holes in the pueblo walls. He just recently published an important paper on global bee distribution and on the show, we discuss how our collection strategies both historically and currently contain inherent biases. Many species sit in drawers waiting to be fully described as type species. Listen today and learn how bee taxonomists and digitization of collections is moving our understanding of bee diversity forward. _____________________ Learn more about the 2 Million Blossoms and about protecting our pollinators at: https://www.2millionblossoms.com/ _____________________ We welcome Betterbee as sponsor of today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, BetterBee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Music: Original 2 Million Blossoms Theme, by Oscar Morante / Mooi Studios. Guitar music by Jeffrey Ott 2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast is a joint audio production of Protect Our Pollinators, LLC and Growing Planet Media, LLC