[Pollinator] Media Release: Honey Bee Health Task Force Tackles Serious Honey Bee Issues
Kelly Rourke
kr at pollinator.org
Thu May 21 09:47:17 PDT 2015
[image: Pollinator_notag]*MEDIA RELEASE*
*May 21, 2015*
*For Immediate Release*
Tom Van Arsdall TVA at pollinator.org 703.509.4746
Laurie Davies Adams LDA at pollinator.org 415.362.1137
*Honey Bee Health Task Force Tackles Serious Honey Bee Issues*
*Timely Support from USDA APHIS and Pollinator Partnership Members *
There will be a few more busy researchers gearing up for the 2015 season
thanks to support from *Pollinator Partnership’s (P2) *generous donors who
have helped generate more than $60,000 for honey bee health issues. With
funding from USDA APHIS as well as contributions from individuals who gave
donations to honor birthdays, holidays, bat mitzvahs and more. “This fits
perfectly with the recently announced federal strategy for honey bee health
announced by President Obama,” said P2 Exec. Director Laurie Davie Adams.
“This public-private partnership is exactly what is called for.” See
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/05/19/announcing-new-steps-promote-pollinator-health
to view the federal strategy.
The Honey Bee Heath Task Force of the North American Pollinator Protection
Campaign (NAPPC), under the co-chairmanship of Dr. Christina Grozinger,
Pennsylvania State University, and Dr. Robyn Rose, USDA APHIS, solicits
proposals each year in January from University researchers and graduate
students who are pioneering new approaches to bee nutrition, conservation,
genetics, and epidemiology.
“Researchers today are dealing with more and more complicated questions and
scenarios in bee health. Honey Bee Health grants help give pioneering
researchers the flexibility to ask additional questions and have sparked
some remarkable findings,” offers P2 Research Director Dr. Vicki Wojcik.
This year the NAPPC Honey Bee Health Task Force assembled a distinguished
panel to review the proposals which included Jeff Pettis, Ph.D., John
Skinner, Ph.D., Olav Rueppel. Ph. D., Laurie Davies Adams, Kelly Rourke,
Robyn Rose, Ph.D., and Deborah Delaney, Ph. D. The panel funded 6
outstanding research projects that advance the science supporting practical
applications in genetics, pesticides, nutrition, best management practices,
pathogens and pests. Of the more than 50 applications submitted to the
NAPPC Task Force, the following projects will be funded and will report
progress at the annual NAPPC International Conference in Washington, D.C.
October 20, 2015:
· [image:
http://www.pollinator.org/Images/Spring%202008%20assessing%20colonies1-2.jpg]*Dr.
Diana Cox-Foster* at *Pennsylvania State University* will be studying the
antiviral immune responses of honey bees, including whether bees are able
to change their behaviors and self-medicate to avoid or reduce infections.
· *Dr. Adam Dolezal* at *Iowa State University* will be
investigating how infections with viruses might change the behavior of
honey bees and perhaps increase their transmission.
· Research into how a full range of pesticides impact bee health
will be conducted by *Dr. Scott McArt* at *Cornell University*.
· Graduate researcher *Rodney T. Richardson* at *Ohio State
University* will be looking into the immune functions of honey bees in
response to fumagillin – a commonly used antibiotic in bee hives.
· Veterinarian *Dr. Elemir Simko* at the *University of
Saskatchewan* will be testing the impacts of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid
on worker bee development and hygienic behavior.
· *Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp* at the *University of Maryland* will
be looking into the real world impacts of the multitude of pesticides that
honey bees interact with as well as their diet to better understand total
bee health.
Funding for the 2015 Honey Bee Health grants came from a research
partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and APHIS as well as
generous donations from invididauls through P2’s Bee Merry and Bee Mine
campaign in support fo bee health. Honey Bee Health Grants have been
distributed for over 5 years, totally more than $300,000 in research
support for over 30 research programs in Canada, the United States, and
Mexico. Funding falls short every year and tax-deductible donations are
welcomed throughout the year. One 4th grade classroom put on a bake sale
for honey bee research and contributed over $400. Every dollar received is
leveraged significantly and makes a real difference for honey bees.
Contact Kelly Rourke at Pollinator Partnership at KR at pollinator.org or at
415.362.1137 to join the campaign to increase knowledge about and action
for the health of honey bees.
###
*ABOUT THE NORTH AMERICAN POLLINATOR PROTECTION CAMPAIGN (NAPPC)*
For over 15 years, NAPPC has brought together stakeholders form all sectors
of the pollinator issue in a collaborative partnership to support
pollinator health across the North American continent. More than any other
single organization, the collective effort of these 140 plus organizations
has made pollinator health a feature in conservation landscape management.
>From its many Task Forces, NAPPC affects change and moves solid science
into real progress on the ground. Managed by the Pollinator Partnership,
more can be found about NAPPC at www.nappc.org.
*ABOUT THE POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP (P2)*
Established in 1997, the Pollinator Partnership is the largest 501(c) 3
non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the health, protection,
and conservation of all pollinating animals. Pollinator Partnership’s
actions for pollinators include education, conservation, restoration,
policy, and research. P2’s financial support comes through grants, gifts,
memberships and donations from any interested party. Its policies are
science-based, set by its board of directors, and never influenced by any
donor. To make a donation or for information on events during Pollinator
Week, visit www.pollinator.org.
Kelly Rourke
Program Associate
Pollinator Partnership
423 Washington Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
e: kr at pollinator.org
w: www.pollinator.org
p: 415.362.1137
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