Updated Info
UPDATED 1/9/24
Check here often I will update as information is available
UPDATED 1/9/24
Check here often I will update as information is available
Session Schedule
2024_upbc_progsched_20240107_final.pdf | |
File Size: | 702 kb |
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Session Description
2024_upbc_sessiondescriptions_v20240108.pdf | |
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Speaker Bios 2024
Upper Peninsula Beekeeping Conference – March 30, 2024
Speaker bios
Chelsey Attebery received her bachelor's degree in Ecological and Sustainable Horticulture Production from Oregon State University in 2019. After completing a Botany Internship with the Hiawatha National Forest, she accepted a position as a Botany Technician. Her time with the Forest Service has been focused on protecting native plant species and improving pollinator habitats by working with partner programs to remove and control invasive species and incorporate native plantings throughout the Hiawatha. She is passionate about pollinators and their importance and integrated entomology courses within her degree to include Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping. Prior to the Forest Service, Chelsey spent 5 years managing a Cut-Flower Farm in Philomath, Oregon where she worked among many native bee species.
Mike Connor is a Certified Arborist, Nursery Grower, and a Beekeeper. He grew up on an orchard and Christmas tree farm in SW Michigan and purchased his first hive of bees from Sears when he was 12 years old. He has a wide diversity of experiences in the horticultural world, including managing a beekeeping supply company, operating a wholesale/retail nursery, working as a Commercial Beekeeper, as well as serving as a Municipal Horticulturist, Park Superintendent, and Municipal Arborist. Mike is in a unique position to understand the relationships between plants, trees, and bees. His company, Honeytree Arborist Services (bees + trees), is dedicated to tree health care while preserving and promoting pollinators.
Ana Heck joined Michigan State University in January 2019 as a Research Technologist to support pollinator education initiatives, honey bee research, and implementation of policies to protect pollinators. Heck learned how to keep bees in Nicaragua while apprenticing on a teaching farm and working with a women's beekeeping cooperative from 2011 through 2013. She began working with the University of Minnesota Bee Squad in 2014, where she managed apiaries, provided hands-on and classroom training to beekeepers, and managed Bee Squad outreach and Extension programs. Heck holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Spanish from Creighton University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota. To learn more about Ana’s work or to contact her, visit her page on the MSU-E website, Ana Heck (msu.edu).
Charlotte Hubbard, a beekeeper since 2008, manages dozens of honey bee colonies in southwest Michigan and mentors beekeepers. In lieu of academic credentials, she offers practical insights, laced with humor and passion for this special insect. Enthusiastic, engaging and knowledgeable, she speaks nationally on bee-half of her favorite insect, and frequently at local beekeeping clubs and regional meetings. Charlotte is author of “Dronings from a Queen Bee” and the children’s book “If I Could Sit on a Bee’s Knees”. Named ‘2018 Beekeeper of the Year’ by the Michigan Beekeepers’ Association, you can find out more about Charlotte at www.hubbardhive.com. All profits from her bee endeavors go to charity.
Dr. Adam Ingrao is the Co-Founder and National Director for the Heroes to Hives program, leads the beekeeping education program at Bay Mills Community College, is an instructor for the Great Plains Master Beekeeping course at the University of Nebraska and serves as an Outreach Specialist at Michigan Food and Farming Systems. Dr. Ingrao also co-owns and operates Bee Wise Farms LLC, the largest producer of locally produced nucs in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He has been beekeeping for 17 years, is a contributing author to Bee Culture magazine, and a co-author of the textbook Honey Bee Medicine for the Veterinary Practitioner.
Michelle Landis She has been interested in homestead-type activities for a number of years. She cooks most of her family’s meals from scratch, making use of products from their Hoop house, ducks, and bees. Honey is mighty nice, but the rewards of keeping bees doesn’t stop there. Michelle enjoys making many homemade items from the products of the hive, such as honey, wax, and propolis. Michelle has kept bees for about ten years and has been the “Bee Gal” for the Superior Beekeeping Club for almost as long. She has served as President for the club and is on the planning committee for the U.P. Beekeeping Conference.
Dr. Meghan Milbrath began working bees over 25 years ago, and now owns and manages The Sand Hill Apiary, a small livestock and queen rearing operation in Munith, Michigan. She studied biology at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and received degrees in public health from Tulane University and the University of Michigan, where she focused on environmental health sciences and disease transmission risk. Meghan worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University, studying nosema disease, and at Swedish Agricultural University. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology at MSU, where she does honey bee and pollinator research and extension and is the coordinator of the Michigan Pollinator Initiative. Meghan is active in multiple beekeeping organizations, writes for multiple beekeeping journals, and speaks about bees all over the country. She currently runs the Northern Bee Network, a directory and resource site dedicated to supporting queen producers, and she is passionate about keeping and promoting healthy bees. Read more about Dr. Milbrath’s work on the MSU website and at The Sandhill.
David Payant has lived for 72 years in Marquette, MI. After spending 40 years in the law business he began keeping bees seventeen-ish years ago. David and his wife Susan operate a small honey business called "Nodding Trillium Apiary". Some years, their bees have made over 100(!) gallons of pure gold. David has raised queen bees calling them "Superior Snow Queens". He has taught courses on raising queens using the Nicot method, Beekeeping 201 (Dare to Manage Your Bees), mite management, and swarm catching. For several years, Susan and Dave were the "Bee Busters", catching swarms in the Marquette area. David currently keeps 35 hives in North Dickinson County behind a nasty electric bear fence. Susan has 3 hives in Marquette Township.
Ted Roper received his bachelor’s degree in biology/plant ecology from Northern Michigan University in 2019. His love of plants sent him to the University of New Mexico, where he earned his master’s studying grasslands, carbon fluxes, and the environmental implications of shifting ecosystems. He now serves as the Botanist for the west zone of the Hiawatha National Forest, where he plans to continue work on improving pollinator habitat and protecting the unique and beautiful ecosystems within the Hiawatha. Previously, Ted served as a Plant Biologist at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, where he also worked to protect native plants and ecosystems, protect and enhance habitat for threatened and endangered species, enhance pollinator habitat, remove and control invasive plant species, and survey for the presence of plant pathogens. At Pictured Rocks, Ted hosted local high school students, teaching them how to conduct native spring wildflower and pollinator surveys, as well as visited local high schools to discuss the importance of native plants and pollinators with students.
May Tsupros is Executive Director for Partridge Creek Farm (PCF) since 2020, an Ishpeming based non-profit with a vision of a whole community that has access to equitably produced nutritious food, and grows and eats it together. PCF does this by growing food and providing the local youth and community with nutrition and food education. Before PCF, May was an award winning founding high school science teacher and Dean of Students in Chicago Public School. Responding to that poor quality and access to health, real food, in 2014 May co-founded and lead a Chicago Farm-to-School non-profit called Gardeneers. May is also owner of SunTree Collaboration, designing permaculture food forests and native landscapes. In their free time, May is an herbalist, gardener, mountain biker, cross country skier and yogi. May has been beekeeping for nine years in urban environments, including downtown Chicago and now downtown Ishpeming. May has worked with people of all ages to learn about the power of bees and is excited to continue working with Ishpeming middles schoolers this year to start their own hive in their school garden.
The “Old-Timers”
Joel Lantz has been a beekeeper for over 30 years. Starting in downstate Michigan, then here in the Marquette area of the UP for the last 10-plus years. His focus has been on educating anyone that will listen about bees and their part in our world. (Joel is past-president and founder of the Superior Beekeeping Club.) He enjoys raising bees, enjoys his Hive House, and his many bee and family activities. Joel maintains a website, “UP Michigan Bees”, available at www.upbees.weebly.com.
Bernie Driggs bought one package of Starlines in 1977 and fell in love with the honey bee. Despite the sorrow of burning all 18 hives in 1981, after buying American Foulbrood along with his first Italians, Bernie continued to love beekeeping. He and his wife Sharon moved from Wisconsin to Sagola, MI in 2004. Bernie spent a successful career as a salesman. His local club Northwoods Beekeepers is grateful that he uses those talents to promote beekeeping in
the UP. He organizes a beginners’ class every year and remains a phone call away for any beekeeper with a question. He is a lead teacher at club meetings. He has established beekeeping booths at two Michigan county fairs. He teaches candle-making at several venues.
He accepts every invitation to speak about honey bees that comes his way – from MSU Extension, the local library, or a homeschool group. In 2019, Bernie starred in six episodes about beekeeping for Discovering (http://906outdoors.com/Discovering.shtml; episodes 342,
350, 354, 360, 366, 368)
Tom Nebel has been an active beekeeper for over 40 years. What he doesn’t know about bees probably is not worth knowing. He keeps his hives at several locations in Delta County and has managed as many as 300 hives. He also raises local queens. Tom is active in the Bay de Noc Beekeeping Club. He continues to practice his art and has been generous in mentoring beekeepers, new and “old”. Tom was awarded the Michigan Beekeeping Association’s
“Beekeeper of the Year” award in 2018. Dave Wiitanen is a long-time beekeeper and president of the Copper Country Beekeepers Club. Dave keeps more than 100 hives and sells his honey around the Upper Peninsula.
Speaker bios
Chelsey Attebery received her bachelor's degree in Ecological and Sustainable Horticulture Production from Oregon State University in 2019. After completing a Botany Internship with the Hiawatha National Forest, she accepted a position as a Botany Technician. Her time with the Forest Service has been focused on protecting native plant species and improving pollinator habitats by working with partner programs to remove and control invasive species and incorporate native plantings throughout the Hiawatha. She is passionate about pollinators and their importance and integrated entomology courses within her degree to include Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping. Prior to the Forest Service, Chelsey spent 5 years managing a Cut-Flower Farm in Philomath, Oregon where she worked among many native bee species.
Mike Connor is a Certified Arborist, Nursery Grower, and a Beekeeper. He grew up on an orchard and Christmas tree farm in SW Michigan and purchased his first hive of bees from Sears when he was 12 years old. He has a wide diversity of experiences in the horticultural world, including managing a beekeeping supply company, operating a wholesale/retail nursery, working as a Commercial Beekeeper, as well as serving as a Municipal Horticulturist, Park Superintendent, and Municipal Arborist. Mike is in a unique position to understand the relationships between plants, trees, and bees. His company, Honeytree Arborist Services (bees + trees), is dedicated to tree health care while preserving and promoting pollinators.
Ana Heck joined Michigan State University in January 2019 as a Research Technologist to support pollinator education initiatives, honey bee research, and implementation of policies to protect pollinators. Heck learned how to keep bees in Nicaragua while apprenticing on a teaching farm and working with a women's beekeeping cooperative from 2011 through 2013. She began working with the University of Minnesota Bee Squad in 2014, where she managed apiaries, provided hands-on and classroom training to beekeepers, and managed Bee Squad outreach and Extension programs. Heck holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Spanish from Creighton University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota. To learn more about Ana’s work or to contact her, visit her page on the MSU-E website, Ana Heck (msu.edu).
Charlotte Hubbard, a beekeeper since 2008, manages dozens of honey bee colonies in southwest Michigan and mentors beekeepers. In lieu of academic credentials, she offers practical insights, laced with humor and passion for this special insect. Enthusiastic, engaging and knowledgeable, she speaks nationally on bee-half of her favorite insect, and frequently at local beekeeping clubs and regional meetings. Charlotte is author of “Dronings from a Queen Bee” and the children’s book “If I Could Sit on a Bee’s Knees”. Named ‘2018 Beekeeper of the Year’ by the Michigan Beekeepers’ Association, you can find out more about Charlotte at www.hubbardhive.com. All profits from her bee endeavors go to charity.
Dr. Adam Ingrao is the Co-Founder and National Director for the Heroes to Hives program, leads the beekeeping education program at Bay Mills Community College, is an instructor for the Great Plains Master Beekeeping course at the University of Nebraska and serves as an Outreach Specialist at Michigan Food and Farming Systems. Dr. Ingrao also co-owns and operates Bee Wise Farms LLC, the largest producer of locally produced nucs in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He has been beekeeping for 17 years, is a contributing author to Bee Culture magazine, and a co-author of the textbook Honey Bee Medicine for the Veterinary Practitioner.
Michelle Landis She has been interested in homestead-type activities for a number of years. She cooks most of her family’s meals from scratch, making use of products from their Hoop house, ducks, and bees. Honey is mighty nice, but the rewards of keeping bees doesn’t stop there. Michelle enjoys making many homemade items from the products of the hive, such as honey, wax, and propolis. Michelle has kept bees for about ten years and has been the “Bee Gal” for the Superior Beekeeping Club for almost as long. She has served as President for the club and is on the planning committee for the U.P. Beekeeping Conference.
Dr. Meghan Milbrath began working bees over 25 years ago, and now owns and manages The Sand Hill Apiary, a small livestock and queen rearing operation in Munith, Michigan. She studied biology at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and received degrees in public health from Tulane University and the University of Michigan, where she focused on environmental health sciences and disease transmission risk. Meghan worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University, studying nosema disease, and at Swedish Agricultural University. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology at MSU, where she does honey bee and pollinator research and extension and is the coordinator of the Michigan Pollinator Initiative. Meghan is active in multiple beekeeping organizations, writes for multiple beekeeping journals, and speaks about bees all over the country. She currently runs the Northern Bee Network, a directory and resource site dedicated to supporting queen producers, and she is passionate about keeping and promoting healthy bees. Read more about Dr. Milbrath’s work on the MSU website and at The Sandhill.
David Payant has lived for 72 years in Marquette, MI. After spending 40 years in the law business he began keeping bees seventeen-ish years ago. David and his wife Susan operate a small honey business called "Nodding Trillium Apiary". Some years, their bees have made over 100(!) gallons of pure gold. David has raised queen bees calling them "Superior Snow Queens". He has taught courses on raising queens using the Nicot method, Beekeeping 201 (Dare to Manage Your Bees), mite management, and swarm catching. For several years, Susan and Dave were the "Bee Busters", catching swarms in the Marquette area. David currently keeps 35 hives in North Dickinson County behind a nasty electric bear fence. Susan has 3 hives in Marquette Township.
Ted Roper received his bachelor’s degree in biology/plant ecology from Northern Michigan University in 2019. His love of plants sent him to the University of New Mexico, where he earned his master’s studying grasslands, carbon fluxes, and the environmental implications of shifting ecosystems. He now serves as the Botanist for the west zone of the Hiawatha National Forest, where he plans to continue work on improving pollinator habitat and protecting the unique and beautiful ecosystems within the Hiawatha. Previously, Ted served as a Plant Biologist at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, where he also worked to protect native plants and ecosystems, protect and enhance habitat for threatened and endangered species, enhance pollinator habitat, remove and control invasive plant species, and survey for the presence of plant pathogens. At Pictured Rocks, Ted hosted local high school students, teaching them how to conduct native spring wildflower and pollinator surveys, as well as visited local high schools to discuss the importance of native plants and pollinators with students.
May Tsupros is Executive Director for Partridge Creek Farm (PCF) since 2020, an Ishpeming based non-profit with a vision of a whole community that has access to equitably produced nutritious food, and grows and eats it together. PCF does this by growing food and providing the local youth and community with nutrition and food education. Before PCF, May was an award winning founding high school science teacher and Dean of Students in Chicago Public School. Responding to that poor quality and access to health, real food, in 2014 May co-founded and lead a Chicago Farm-to-School non-profit called Gardeneers. May is also owner of SunTree Collaboration, designing permaculture food forests and native landscapes. In their free time, May is an herbalist, gardener, mountain biker, cross country skier and yogi. May has been beekeeping for nine years in urban environments, including downtown Chicago and now downtown Ishpeming. May has worked with people of all ages to learn about the power of bees and is excited to continue working with Ishpeming middles schoolers this year to start their own hive in their school garden.
The “Old-Timers”
Joel Lantz has been a beekeeper for over 30 years. Starting in downstate Michigan, then here in the Marquette area of the UP for the last 10-plus years. His focus has been on educating anyone that will listen about bees and their part in our world. (Joel is past-president and founder of the Superior Beekeeping Club.) He enjoys raising bees, enjoys his Hive House, and his many bee and family activities. Joel maintains a website, “UP Michigan Bees”, available at www.upbees.weebly.com.
Bernie Driggs bought one package of Starlines in 1977 and fell in love with the honey bee. Despite the sorrow of burning all 18 hives in 1981, after buying American Foulbrood along with his first Italians, Bernie continued to love beekeeping. He and his wife Sharon moved from Wisconsin to Sagola, MI in 2004. Bernie spent a successful career as a salesman. His local club Northwoods Beekeepers is grateful that he uses those talents to promote beekeeping in
the UP. He organizes a beginners’ class every year and remains a phone call away for any beekeeper with a question. He is a lead teacher at club meetings. He has established beekeeping booths at two Michigan county fairs. He teaches candle-making at several venues.
He accepts every invitation to speak about honey bees that comes his way – from MSU Extension, the local library, or a homeschool group. In 2019, Bernie starred in six episodes about beekeeping for Discovering (http://906outdoors.com/Discovering.shtml; episodes 342,
350, 354, 360, 366, 368)
Tom Nebel has been an active beekeeper for over 40 years. What he doesn’t know about bees probably is not worth knowing. He keeps his hives at several locations in Delta County and has managed as many as 300 hives. He also raises local queens. Tom is active in the Bay de Noc Beekeeping Club. He continues to practice his art and has been generous in mentoring beekeepers, new and “old”. Tom was awarded the Michigan Beekeeping Association’s
“Beekeeper of the Year” award in 2018. Dave Wiitanen is a long-time beekeeper and president of the Copper Country Beekeepers Club. Dave keeps more than 100 hives and sells his honey around the Upper Peninsula.
bios_conf_2024.pdf | |
File Size: | 53 kb |
File Type: |