A week ago we were told via YouTube that USDA-BARC and our Bee Lab will be closed. BARC has had a productive 90 years but is aging and I trust there is a longterm vision behind this decision. The largest loss will be the people, who are 100% devoted to bees, beekeepers, science, and this country.

Fun to host the American Veterinary Medicine Association for a Honey bee workshop in the historic USDA Log Lodge , poignant as a couple days later we received notice our USDA Center will now vacate…🤷🏻🐝.

Would-be family provider

I am frugal myself and rarely critique my federal employer (maybe for shutdowns, as I love my job), but I cracked seeing the young faces of fired #NPS rangers and #USDA employees. Thought of my teacher mom, who joined midlife as a proud @NPS educator. Public service is a calling, not a safety net.

We have two scientists on the road collecting time-sensitive samples of bees and wax to help beekeepers resolve how they lost >$10M in honey bees this month

A poignant visit to Chile’s Human Rights museum, highlighting the 15-year murderous blight on democracy by Pinochet and his many allies, even refusing the results of the 1988 plebiscite until the people said ‘nope’, we won.

Heading home from Thailand where a serviceable and super cute native bee Apis cerana is meeting A mellifera, chaos has ensued in places.

Apologies as a slow learner who acquiesced to the politicization as I just tried to glean the good (sciency) stuff