Spring Convention

Saturday 4th March 2023 at 9.00am

9.00 Convention opens. Registration and refreshments

9.25 Welcome by the President of Lancashire BKA

9.30 Lecture Interdisciplinary approaches to pollinator conservation – Dr Phil Donkersley

10.45 Refreshments

11.15 Lecture Honeybee Democracy – Dave Bonner

12.30 Lunch

1.45 Presentation of trophy and Certificates

2.00 LNWBKA 124th AGM

3.15 Refreshments

3.30 Nucs- Good Things come in Small Boxes – Dave Bonner

4.30 Closing words

4.35 Convention closes

Phil Donkersley

Philip is an expert on invertebrate biology, ecological impact, conservation policy and nature’s contributions to people, with seven years' experience of conducting cutting-edge transdisciplinary field and lab research at Lancaster University (LU). Having completed his PhD in 2014, studying pollinator biology from a transdisciplinary perspective, he studies the interactions between insects and their environment from nutritional, microbial and fitness perspectives, studying how the environment, both physical and biological, interacts with pollinator physiology.

Philip’s current research is in leading a collaborative research project with LU Engineering department, focusing on bio-inspired engineering solutions to environmental crises. Through this project, he has prototyped a new artificial nest for wild pollinators: BEEOX. The prototype nests enabled running a video livestream of life inside a wild bumblebee nest – the first of its kind worldwide. Over the course of national lockdown in the UK, Philip set up and ran a series of internet live-streams recording life inside the bumblebee nest, broadcast to Youtube. This stream and nestbox received media coverage in the iPaper. He is also leading a project designing a accessibility device for beekeepers and investigating the bioplastics potential for a common honeybee biproduct: propolis.

Dave Bonner

Dave Bonner is an "enthusiastic hobbyist" who has been keeping bees since 2006 and runs 25 productive colonies.

He is a Master Beekeeper and has been going to Uganda every Year since 2008, and as a Project manager for Bees Abroad, he has four active projects in rural communities in Northern Uganda.

He is active in the Warwickshire BBKA and was a Seasonal Bee Inspector for ten years.

Stalls will include

PBKA, V&J Bees, Northern Bee Books, Fair Trade, Black Powder Gin (Kirkham) and others TBC

Convention Arrangements

The Convention will be held at Archbishop Temple School, St Vincent's Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire PR2 8RA.

Lunch (included) will be Soup, a Sandwich and a Dessert. Please indicate if the vegetarian option is required, on the reply form.

Refreshments available morning and afternoon are included.

Booking arrangements

The fee for the Convention will be £22.00 for the full day including lunch. Under 18s pay only £12.00 (for the meal).

Early Bird Discount: If payment is received by Friday 24th Feb 2023, the fee for the Convention is only £17 (still only £12 for under 18s).

Both the following steps are required to book places:

Please click here to complete the attached Google Form with your details and the names of those you are booking for and how you will be paying for your places.
Please pay by BACS if possible, to Lancashire & North-West Beekeepers Sort code 23-05-80, account no 40971408. Please put SPConv23 in the ref line.

Alternatively, send cheques made payable to “Lancashire & North-West Beekeepers " to Viki Cuthbertson, 18 Highgate Avenue, Fulwood PR2 8LL asap, to make the catering easier. To qualify for the Early Bird Discount, the payment must have been received by Friday 24th February 2023.

When payment has been received you will be sent an e-mail confirming your places have been booked.

Photos from the 2020 event