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@majrundlof.bsky.social @buzznicholson.bsky.social, and I love them, so we're developing this work as a method for post-approval pesticide monitoring for bees. In the future, we hope to link to broader pollinator monitoring. Illustration by the talented Maj Persson www.majpersson.se

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Pesticide use negatively affects bumble bees across European landscapes - Nature

Working with these colonies, we've found them to be excellent (intermediate) indicators of bees' pesticide exposure and effect. Worryingly, we also show 60% of colonies exceed a current suggested specific protection goal for bumble bees (10% colony weight reduction) www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

Results from 316 Bombus terrestris colonies at 106 agricultural sites across eight European countries find pesticides in bumble bee pollen to be associated with reduced colony performance, especially ...

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They also have the bonus that you can order boxes of them in the post! Perfect for experiments, outreach and if you need a little company. I've had some very interested delivery drivers over the years!

Being central-place foragers, they handily sample the landscape for us. Telling us about the flowers and pesticides they encounter, and if I knew how, disease, etc.

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Their large hairy bodies, love of some of our well-known crops and abundance in the landscape make them excellent pollinators - look at all that pollen! 😍

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Jess Knapp @planbee.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

#Entomologists what is your favourite indicator species and why? 🙋‍♀️I have one! Common here in temperate Europe, Bombus terrestris L. may not be everyone's favourite, but it certainly is mine!

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Please can you add me? 😊 scholar.google.co.uk/citations?us...

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Jess Knapp @planbee.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Thank you 😊 and I absolutely agree about soil health. Its just not my area so I don't know where to start 🙈

Thinking about impact helps my focus and objectivity and motivates me to do what I do. I want functional and sustainable landscapes for people and biodiversity. And I'll keep exploring these themes all the time it makes sense for my family, my team, and me 🥳 11/11

I moved to TCD. I lecture human-biodiversity interactions, #Entomology etc. I LOVE it, but managing teams in 2 countries with 2 young kids at home is a huge challenge. I have a ginormous student loan, no magic pots of money and even with my privilege, I struggle with the elitism in Academia. 10/11

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For me, humans are integral to the system. Each discipline is complex (always open to collaboration), so I aim to simplify interdisciplinarity. Pure science, applied ecology, conservation, and engagement are all important. 9/11

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Fast forward a few years (for another thread), linking ecology, economics, and socio-psychology became my basis. We're building a database of pollinator conservation practices to ask questions like what is best ecologically? What are large landholders most likely to do? .. 8/11

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besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

So, a friend and I tried something new! We discovered nature interactions and individuals' empowerment were consistently stronger predictors of people's pollinator conservation actions than factors like knowledge and financial resources. 7/11 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Socio‐psychological factors, beyond knowledge, predict people’s engagement in pollinator conservation

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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I had greatly underestimated the role of socio-psychological factors (beyond economics) in shaping people's conservation behaviour, which isn't surprising given my background in ecology 🤷‍♀️ Photo of @majrundlof.bsky.social by V. Westin Sverige Nature 6/11

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I presented (IMO!) a sound ecological and economic argument for pollinator habitat, but only ~2% of the land I advised over (5,599 Ha, so 108 Ha) was converted. 5/11

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Enthused, I moved on to a NERC impact fellowship, producing bespoke pollinator management reports for farmers in my region based on scientific evidence. I ran computer simulations to model the ecological benefits and conducted basic cost-benefit analyses. 4/11

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First of my (extended) family to study a higher degree, I had terrible imposter syndrome. But with excellent supervision from Juliet Osborne, I gained confidence and, perhaps as a result, LOVED my PhD. It showed in my productivity - 5 research papers from 3.5 years of study. 3/11

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I studied the mechanisms and management of crop pollination (squash) in partnership with the agricultural industry. I found insect pollination was worth £3,400/ Ha, and simple conservation measures promoted pollinator visitation to crop flowers. 2/11 academic.oup.com/jee/article/...

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Nearly 10 years ago, I started my journey of studying #pollinators It's been a buzz - a PhD, postdoc and assistant professorship, lived in 3 countries (8 houses), married, and had 2 kids. It sounds (and feels) like a lot, yet I'm only getting started. Here's a little of that journey: 1/11

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I moved to TCD. I lecture human-biodiversity interactions, #Entomology, etc. I LOVE it, but managing teams in 2 countries with 2 young kids at home is a huge challenge. I have a ginormous student loan, no magic pots of money and even with my privilege, I struggle with the elitism in Academia. 10/11

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besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Socio‐psychological factors, beyond knowledge, predict people’s engagement in pollinator conservation

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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I presented (IMO!) a sound ecological and economic argument for pollinator habitat, but only ~2% of the land I advised over (5,599 Ha, so 108 Ha) was converted. 5/11

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Jess Knapp @planbee.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

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“Nature is very valuable until someone has to pay.” - spot on quote from Farmer Andrew Bergin in this @uk.theconversation.com piece I wrote earlier this year. Subject for my next grant?🤞🚜🐝 theconversation.com/how-do-we-re...

theconversation.com

How do we reduce pesticide use while empowering farmers? A more nuanced approach could help

The debate about pesticides often gets polarised, pitching farmers against consumers.

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Jess Knapp @planbee.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Please can you add me? I'm a pollinator ecologist working in agricultural systems 😊

Jess Knapp @planbee.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

They're a pleasure to see. He loved it too! Hope to catch you out there one time.

Jess Knapp @planbee.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Please can you add me? I work on pollinator conservation/ pollination services in agricultural systems. Also, stakeholder engagement, etc. Thanks 😊