2022 International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Did you know..... February 11, 2022, is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science! Our lab marked the day with a selection of photos of our team members actively performing a variety of tasks supporting research in the field of Entomology! 

Figure 1. Jennifer and Ross collecting insects in canola growing near McLennan AB in 2008 as part of the annual survey of the Peace River region (2003-present).

Figure 2. Jennifer leading a school-aged tour through the Crop Services Building at the AAFC-Beaverlodge Research farm in June 2017.

Figure 3. Amanda collecting wheat midge soil core samples from snow-covered wheat stubble near Rolla BC in April 2017. 

Figure 4. Shelby collecting a sweep-net sample in canola growing near Hines Creek AB in July 2017.

Figure 5. Tessa using the stereomicroscope to sort and identify frozen insects from sweep-net samples collected in 2021 from alfalfa.

Figure 6. Vicky hand-sorting frozen arthropods collected in alfalfa in 2021 using a paint brush.

Figure 7. Jordon constructing vial storage for long-term cold storage of ethanol-immersed pitfall trap arthropods.

Winter 2022 and our IPM Team!

Our field research program at Beaverlodge hinges on technical support - these are people who implement the science we are fortunate to be supported to do in the Peace River region!

This winter, our program has new people hired who are rapidly learning a LOT about how to process and begin to identify the more than 110 arthropod species that are active in annual and perennial field crops  grown throughout the region. Learn more about Jordon, Vicky, Tessa, and Tanya. They join Shelby, Amanda, and me and we're the IPM Team for the winter of 2022!

Return of our student team!

 We're really pleased to welcome back our student team for the 2021 field season! These folks are coming soon to a field (and field plots) near you!!  Well, that's true ONLY if you're fortunate to be in the Peace River region!

Learn more about Maiya, Aarika and Donovan.  They join Shelby, Amanda, and me and we're the IPM Team for the summer of 2021!

Coming back to work in the IPM program

Hi, my name is Aarika and I am more than excited to be coming back to work in the IPM program again this summer!

About Me

I am going into my fourth year of Bachelor’s of Science specializing in Psychology at the University of Alberta. I am interested in pursuing medicine, specifically neurology or psychiatry. Although my studies are a bit different from agricultural entomology research, I have become very passionate in this area of agriculture from working at the Beaverlodge Research Farm last year. I was THRILLED when I knew I would be coming back to work here this summer. I grew up on a grain farm near Valhalla Centre and have been eager to become more involved. I have been helping out in the field when I get the chance to and learning to drive more of the equipment.

Last year I learned so much valuable information in the IPM program including starting to monitor insects in fields. I was able to review various pieces of scientific literature and take online courses to expand my knowledge on insect predators, pests, economic thresholds, insecticides, and more. 

Figure 1. Aarika rolling canola in her family’s fields.

What I Look Forward to... This year, I am excited to have the opportunity to do more fieldwork in different areas and on a wider variety of insects. I look forward to continuing learning about insect monitoring, scouting, and gaining more practical experience. This job has given me a greater awareness of what isgoing on in a smaller scale (insect scale) in those large fields! I have scouted some of my family's fields already and have seen insects already working away! I am eager to see how this year is in comparison to previous years as I have seen a lot of fluctuation with the weather.

Anyways, I am very excited to be working with the wonderful team for my second year here in the IPM program! They are truly incredible people to work with and are passionate about what they do.

Back for the 2021 field season!

Hello everyone! My name is Maiya and I am a returning student in the Insect Pest Management (IPM) Program at the Beaverlodge Research Farm. I worked with the IPM team last year, but this is my first year both returning to the program and working in-person. I will be at the Farm for the 2021 summer from May to August. 

I recently completed my third year at the University of Alberta pursuing an undergraduate degree in Science, majoring in Biological Sciences and Psychology. Though I have not focused on insects in my studies, I have taken a few ecology and zoology courses that often use entomological examples. I am looking forward to applying my school-based knowledge to the job and gaining more practical experience in biology this summer. 

Previous work with the IPM program brought me a new appreciation for the wide range of insects with which producers must cope to grow a successful crop. Last summer I was only able to do fieldwork on my family’s farm in the Peace region (Fig. 1) and performed several online tasks and training while working from home. Therefore, I am eager to spend more time outside getting some hands-on experience with pest monitoring and laboratory techniques this summer. 

Figure 1. Maiya holding a sweep-net used for monitoring Lygus bugs and other insects in her family’s canola field.

Back for the 2021 field season!

Hi there! I’m Donovan, a returning student in the Insect Pest Management Program at the Beaverlodge Research Farm. Last summer, I worked remotely with the IPM team, mainly performing online insect-related tasks and research. This year, however, I’m working on-site from May to August, and I can’t wait to get that true pest monitoring experience!

I am a third-year student at Carleton University pursuing a BSc in Ecology while minoring in Statistics. Growing up, animals of all shapes and sizes intrigued me (Fig.1). Whenever I went to zoos, I never wanted to leave until I had the chance to see every animal, much to my parent’s occasional discontent. Later in my educational career, I realized I loved translating my ecological research into numbers (or vice versa), which prompted me to incorporate statistics into my studies.

I have a deep passion for entomology since working for the Canadian National Collection of Insects housed at AAFC-Ottawa. While working there, I marveled over the sheer diversity of insects and all the weird and wacky forms they possess. When I worked remotely for the Beaverlodge Research Farm, I was fascinated by how much of an impact insects have on agriculture, whether beneficial or detrimental, and I’m looking forward to expanding my knowledge on these compelling arthropods with the IPM team this summer!

Figure 1. Donovan celebrating the 12th birthday of his miniature labradoodle, Keegan.

The Importance of Entomology

We all know that entomologists are important, and it's apparent when we see a healthy colony of bees, harvest a high-yielding crop, or control a swarm of mosquitoes. But did you know the growing importance and history of insects as food? Or how far back civilizations' relationships with insects really go?

This paper nicely explains just how important entomology really is. Entomology is a far-reaching field that impacts our daily lives in ways that we might not usually think about. It's definitely a good read! Find the whole article here.

- Amanda