Special to Atmore News
Calling all beekeepers! Registration for the 27th Annual Alabama Beekeepers’ Symposium is now open. The symposium is set for February 5 and 6. It will once again be held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jack Rowe, a member of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System beekeeping team, said the team is excited to host the event and has a great agenda planned.
“James Tew, a well-loved apiculture specialist, started this symposium 27 years ago, and it has remained popular, with hundreds of people in attendance each year,” Rowe said. “Here we are in 2022, and while the Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has put a live event out of the question once more, we will not be denied.”
While an in-person event is ideal, the virtual option allows people from all over the world to attend the symposium. The 2021 virtual symposium saw viewers from many parts of the United States and from parts of Europe and Canada.
Speakers and presentations
Another highlight of hosting a virtual event is the opportunity to invite industry professionals to speak without having to overcome the hurdles of long-distance travel or budget issues. Rowe said this year’s symposium features not one, but two keynote speakers.
“The keynote speakers for this year’s event bring with them many years of experience in this industry,” Rowe said. “We are honored to have them be a part of the symposium and are eager to learn from their wealth of information.”
* Samuel Ramsey will present from Thailand, where he is researching the potentially dangerous Tropilaelaps mite. In his presentation, Ramsey will discuss this honeybee pest and also deliver a talk on his ground-breaking research into the Varroa mite that plagues beekeepers.
* Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu will speak from her new position at Mississippi State University. Beekeepers in the Southeast are lucky to have her expertise on honey bee nutrition. Chakrabarti Basu will deliver two presentations on nutrition from her research and practical methods of feeding.
In addition to the keynote speakers, the symposium will feature Auburn University’s Geoffrey Williams and members of his pollinator research lab staff. Other speakers will include Alabama Extension professionals, Alabama Master Beekeepers and others.
Registration
Registration for this event is online and open until February 5. The cost to attend is $20 per person. As a part of the registration cost, participants can access the presentations for up to two weeks after the event. To register, visit the Alabama Extension Store.
More information
More information about the 27th Annual Alabama Beekeepers’ Symposium is available on the Alabama Extension website, www.aces.edu. There, people will find a full agenda and list of presentations and speakers. People can also contact Rowe at wjr0001@auburn.edu.