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