Virtual Beekeeping Lecture – Science Projects

Register

Beekeeping can be a fun and rewarding hobby. Part of the enjoyment comes from experimenting and trying new things. Some take it a step further and create their own science projects using bees. Join us as we share fun science projects done by students Sophie Donnellan and Raina Jain.

Sophie is a senior at Walter Payton College Prep. When she is not working on her honey research, Sophie enjoys playing traditional Irish Music, volunteering at Paws Chicago, and taking care of her five succulents. As the co-president of the Model UN team at Payton, she is passionate about international relations and making the world a better place.

Sophie’s presentation, “Beeing Sustainable,” will reveal one the sweet superpowers of honey: its unique ability to measure pollutants. Sophie will detail her research project, in which she questioned how Chicago’s urban environment and industrialization impacts the traces of heavy metals found within local honey samples, and the extent to which various Chicago neighborhoods differ in their levels of pollution. This presentation will also discuss environmental racism within the city of Chicago and the implications of increased industrialization in the Chicago suburbs.

Raina Jain is a student at University of Connecticut. After hearing a presentation by Dr. Samuel Ramsey on declining honey bee populations, she started her own company, HiveGuard. HiveGuard is a device that eliminates varroa mite infestations from honey bee hives. Her passion for science, entrepreneurship, and long-distance running have taught her a fundamental lesson; have big goals and even bigger dreams, but remember to take one step at a time. While working on HiveGuard full time, she recently launched a venture called The QueenBee with the same mission of helping honey bees – an immune support shot infused with honey bee byproducts, where a pollinator tree is planted for every bottle sold.

Raina believes that fusing entreprenuership and science is a powerful way to make an impact. Start from picking up a plastic straw on a beach to attending climate change protests, anyone can make a difference.

Pre-registration is required so we can send you a link to join, and space is limited. This class is free but we welcome donations to help offset programming costs. Registration closes at the start of the program. Automated live captioning is available.