Welcome McKenzie!

Hello! My name is McKenzie and I am a third-year biomedical engineering student studying at the University of Victoria. Throughout my schooling I have enjoyed extra curriculars with an environmental focus including the Environmental Club at Bonnyville Centralized High School (BCHS) and the University of Victoria Environmental Engineering Club (UVEEC). Through the Environmental Club I ran and promoted electronic recycling drives, built a medicine wheel garden at the front of BCHS, and attended Envirothon 2022. In UVEEC, I am collaborating on the design of an underwater glider to collect conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) data in the Saanich Inlet. I work on the electrical team within the club, designing essential glider components. 

Figure 1. Visiting the Victoria Bug Zoo and getting a "hands-on" visit with a well-behaved Madagascar hissing cockroach.

 

Outside of school, I enjoy backpacking, art, and relaxing outdoors. Growing up in the M.D of Bonnyville, AB, instilled my love of nature. In the spring and summer, I would be surrounded by fireweed, paintbrushes, wood lilies, and dogwood; all of these flowers inspire my present art. The wildlife around my home was also very impactful to me. My favorite insect is the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. As a child I would often see them around my house in the spring. I enjoyed their bright colouration and frequent visits to my butterfly garden. As I became older, I started backpacking in the Canadian Rockies. My visits to Alstones Lake, Jasper National Park, and Kootenay National Park made me fall in love with the mountains and realise that ecosystems like these need to be closely monitored and maintained to minimize human and pest impact. 

Figure 2. McKenzie enjoying time with their barn-cat-turned-indoor pet named Silver.

 Over the winter and spring, I am excited to work outdoors and take a research-based approach to help improve the environment and agriculture industry. It’s exciting that I will be learning about the impact that prairie pests have on the ecosystem, observe and collect data in the field that reinforces the learned information, and use both the learned information and my engineering background to analyse and interpret that data. Data from these projects can be used to inform decisions about prairie pest management in the future.

Welcome Jake!

My name is Jacob Landry-Doran and this is my first summer working with the Beaverlodge Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. I am in my last year of a B.Sc. in Conservation Biology. 

Figure 1. Sharing a moment with a great plains toad during the summer of 2024.

I previously worked for Natural Resources Canada, collecting and processing pitfall samples with invertebrate natural enemies in upland oil reclamation sites. I also have years of work and volunteer experience in entomological laboratories, including the Mori and Frost labs at the University of Alberta, and the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton. 

I’ve always had a passion for insects and have a personal collection of native beetles and invertebrates. This personal collection has changed my career path towards becoming more involved with these amazing creatures! It’s fascinating that creatures as small as insects can have such a large impact on the environment around us. 

Figure 2. A thumbs-up after a long day of pitfall collecting!

I am really looking forward to working with the Beaverlodge IPM team to learn about different pest management projects. I’m always excited to further my experience and knowledge about insect interactions, including how research and collections can aid in the management of agricultural plant pests. I’m excited to be a member of the team!

Welcome Roza!

 

Hi! My name is Roza Gabdullina and currently I am completing my Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Lethbridge. My academic journey has taken me through diverse fields, including a Bachelor in Fine Arts, a Master’s degree in History, and graduate studies in Archaeology, but my passion has always been grounded in discovery and applied research.  

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to explore molecular diagnostics through an internship with Paramoria Agri-Science, where I worked as a Molecular Pathology Intern. There, I conducted qPCR analyses to detect and quantify crop diseases from field samples and optimized protocols for diagnostic efficiency. I also worked on developing an RNA toehold switch biosensor for clubroot detection in canola. The idea is to create a test that functions much like a rapid COVID test, using freeze-dried toehold switches embedded on paper to detect pathogen RNA and produce a visible signal that could give growers real-time results right in the field. I co-authored a publication focused on the biophysical characterization of GFP-nanobody interactions, building on research I conducted using biophysical techniques.  

This summer, I’m excited to expand my experience into entomology and gain practical skills in insect sampling, field plot maintenance, and integrated pest management. I’m especially looking forward to seeing how molecular biology and field ecology intersect to support sustainable agriculture in Canada. 

Figure 1. Roza taking a break from labelling insect specimens.

Welcome Jacques!

Hello there! My name is Jacques Jolivet and I am a co-op student at the University of Victoria working in the Insect Pest Management (IPM) program at the Beaverlodge Research Farm this summer. I am a third-year science undergraduate student majoring in Biology at the University of Victoria on Vancouver Island, where I grew up. I have always had a passion for bugs of all sorts and in the past few years I have started breeding isopods and collecting ant queens during their nuptial flights.

I grew up on a small hobby farm, and have been heavily involved in the 4-H Program for 13 years, so agriculture is very near and dear to me. On our farm, we raise sheep and chickens. In my free time, you can find me cuddling with my sheep, playing tabletop roleplaying games and dying for hours on end in brutally difficult video games.

This summer working with the IPM team is my first job and I am really excited to do interesting, meaningful work!  I hope to learn as much as I can about insect biology and identification, agriculture in the Peace River region, and how to conduct proper field and laboratory analysis.

Figure 1. Jacques cuddling with his fluffy friends.

Welcome Bao!

Hi! My name is Bao Ngan Tuong, and I’m a third-year Food Science major at the University of British Columbia.  I’ll be working at the Beaverlodge Research Farm with the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program from May to August 2025.

Although my studies aren’t directly focused on entomology, insects play a vital role in my field. Crop yields are critical in the food industry and are strongly influenced by pest management and growing conditions. My perspective on insects broadened significantly last summer when I worked as a camp leader at the UBC farm. The farm maintains its own bee colonies, which allowed me the opportunity to observe and to gain a better understanding about its role in agriculture. I then shared this knowledge to the campers and guided them through the field to see the bees. We also explored books on pest species and discussed how others can cause major crop losses and lead to significant economic impacts like grasshoppers and beetles. That experience helped me recognize both the positive and negative contributions insects make to agriculture.

Joining the IPM program gives me an exciting opportunity to deepen my understanding of insects and their role in agriculture. I’m particularly excited to gain a perspective on northern agriculture in the Peace River region, where crops like canola, wheat, and peas are grown. I’m eager to gain hands-on experience and build lab and fieldwork skills, especially on sample processing and data management, sample labeling and tracking, taxonomic identification, and insect monitoring. These are all crucial and transferable skills that I hope to apply in my future career in the food and agriculture industry. 

Figure 1. Bao at a strawberry u-pick in BC!

BC Peace Professional Agrologist Tour August 16, 2024

Here's a list of items and links mentioned by Jennifer at today's field tour: 

INSECT MONITORING IN FIELD CROPS

• Permission to Access by AAFC Staff (posted Jun 3, 2024). 
• Field bio-sanitation protocol (posted May 1, 2024).

• Annual canola survey of the Peace River region (link here); Agreements: 102; Fields: 1170; Targeted survey sites: 110. 
• Aphids in field crops (Weekly Update; Wk12).
• Bertha armyworm (Weekly Update; Wk12).
• Cereal leaf beetle (Weekly Update; Wk10).
• Cutworms (Weekly Update; Wk05).
• Diamondback moth (Weekly Update; Wk12). 
• Fall field scouting in grasses grown for seed (IPM Blog; 2023Sep13)
• Field heroes (Weekly Update; Wk05).
• Flea beetles (Weekly Update; Wk04).
• Grasshopper monitoring (Weekly Update; Wk12).
• Lygus bug (Weekly Update; Wk12).
• Pea leaf weevil (Weekly Update; Wk05).
• Wheat midge monitoring (Weekly Update; Wk11).
• Weekly Update for Week 15 (view list of posts) by #PPMN.

FIELD GUIDES

• Alberta Forage Manual (2009; Ag-Dex120/20-1; ISBN 0-7732-6082-X; pdf in English). Includes Forage Insects and Natural Enemies of Forage Pest Insects chapters. 
• Arthropods of legume forage crops (2011; ISBN 978-0-9689321-5-5; pdf in English). 
• Cutworm field guide (2017; ISBN 978-0-660-08051-2; pdf in English, pdf en français). 
• Field crop and forage insect pests and natural enemies in western Canada (ISBN 978-1-100-25768-6; pdf in English, pdf en français). 
• Guide to pest wireworms in Canadian prairie field crop production (ISBN 978-0-660-39114-4; pdf in English, pdf en français).

PRAIRIE-WIDE NETWORKS

• Prairie Pest Monitoring Network (homepage); Weekly Update, Insect of the Week, Subscribe, Risk Maps, Insect Monitoring Protocols
• Prairie Weed Monitoring Network (homepage). 
• Prairie Crop Disease Monitoring Network (homepage).

INSECT PEST MONITORING PROGRAM AT AAFC-BEAVERLODGE

• X  @bugs5132  with in-season updates.
• Insect Pest Management Lab Blog updated seasonally. 
• Alberta AgriSystems Living Lab
• Peace Region Living Lab

North Peace Applied Research Association Annual Field Tour - July 31, 2024

Here's a list of items and links mentioned by Jennifer at today's field tour: 

INSECT MONITORING IN FIELD CROPS

• Permission to Access by AAFC Staff (posted Jun 3, 2024). 
• Field bio-sanitation protocol (posted May 1, 2024).

• Annual canola survey of the Peace River region (link here); Agreements: 102; Fields: 1170; Targeted survey sites: 110. 
• Aphids in field crops (Weekly Update; Wk12).
• Bertha armyworm (Weekly Update; Wk12).
• Cereal leaf beetle (Weekly Update; Wk10).
• Cutworms (Weekly Update; Wk05).
• Diamondback moth (Weekly Update; Wk12). 
• Fall field scouting in grasses grown for seed (IPM Blog; 2023Sep13)
• Field heroes (Weekly Update; Wk05).
• Flea beetles (Weekly Update; Wk04).
• Grasshopper monitoring (Weekly Update; Wk12).
• Lygus bug (Weekly Update; Wk12).
• Pea leaf weevil (Weekly Update; Wk05).
• Wheat midge monitoring (Weekly Update; Wk11).
• Weekly Update for Week 12 (view list of posts) by #PPMN.

FIELD GUIDES

• Alberta Forage Manual (2009; Ag-Dex120/20-1; ISBN 0-7732-6082-X; pdf in English). Includes Forage Insects and Natural Enemies of Forage Pest Insects chapters. 
• Arthropods of legume forage crops (2011; ISBN 978-0-9689321-5-5; pdf in English). 
• Cutworm field guide (2017; ISBN 978-0-660-08051-2; pdf in English, pdf en français). 
• Field crop and forage insect pests and natural enemies in western Canada (ISBN 978-1-100-25768-6; pdf in English, pdf en français). 
• Guide to pest wireworms in Canadian prairie field crop production (ISBN 978-0-660-39114-4; pdf in English, pdf en français).

PRAIRIE-WIDE NETWORKS

• Prairie Pest Monitoring Network (homepage); Weekly Update, Insect of the Week, Subscribe, Risk Maps, Insect Monitoring Protocols
• Prairie Weed Monitoring Network (homepage). 
• Prairie Crop Disease Monitoring Network (homepage).

INSECT PEST MONITORING PROGRAM AT AAFC-BEAVERLODGE

• X  @bugs5132  with in-season updates.
• Insect Pest Management Lab Blog updated seasonally. 
• Alberta AgriSystems Living Lab
• Peace Region Living Lab