News from Our Labs

12noon Eastern Time, Thursday, May 18, 2023 over Zoom Presented by Dr. Laurence Packer, Distinguished Professor of Biology and Dr. Victoria MacPhail, BEEc Coordinator. In this Scholars’ Hub Presentation, learn about the research undertaken by the Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (BEEc), a network of faculty, staff, and students based at York University […]

Join us for a Cocktail Fundraiser for the Maria Stea Award – May 17, 2023, at the Angus Glen Golf Club (Mackenzie Hall), 10080 Kennedy Rd, Markham, Ontario. Maria Stea was the Associate Director of Advancement for the Faculty of Science at York University, and a big supporter of BEEC, when she died in 2019 […]

BEEc and the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change invite everyone (students, staff, faculty, community members) to join them for a Garden Party on Tuesday, May 16 from 2:30-5pm outside HNES on Keele Campus at York University.  In celebration of World Bee Day on the following Saturday, everyone is welcome to drop by our outreach table to […]

An incredible new webinar series has just been released - and its all about BEES!! Systematics is the study of the variety of living things and of the relationships among these organisms across evolutionary time. Biogeography studies the present and past distribution patterns of living things and their underlying environmental and historical factors. The Bee Biogeography […]

Do you find bees fascinating? Do you want to learn more? We have openings for grad students in select bee-related research areas, such as systematics, evolution of social behaviour, disease modelling, biogeography, conservation genomics and more! Check out our Future Grad Students page for more specifics and to find links to lab groups.

We are officially an Organized Research Unit (ORU) at York University! The Vice President of Research and Innovation (Amir Asif) just announced the senate approval of our proposed ORU - The Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation! We couldn't be prouder and are excited to begin our cross-disciplinary research. Here's to new beginnings! https://yfile.news.yorku.ca/2020/06/10/senate-approves-two-new-orus-bee-ecology-and-indigenous-knowledges-languages/

This morning, Toronto's official bee, Agapostemon virescens, was featured in the Toronto Star. The bee first received its unofficial title in the Bees of Toronto book, part of the city's biodiversity series. The book was written and composed by members of our BEEc team (L. Packer, S. Dumesh, S. Colla, and A. Zayed) as well […]