In December of this year, three young beekeepers from Ontario will be traveling to Dubai, UAE to represent Canada at the 13th annual International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (IMYB). Only 20 countries have been selected to participate in the event this year. This is a great honor for Canada and will be the third time a team from Canada will be competing. In 2019, three young beekeepers attended the IMYB in Slovakia, and last year three young beekeepers represented Canada in Slovenia.
This year, the members of Team Canada 2024 are all graduates of the Kawartha Junior Beekeepers program: Heidi from Cavan, Rebecca from Pontypool and Ben from Trent Hills. All are avid beekeepers and eager to represent their country at this unique event. They are busy preparing, including fundraising and improving their beekeeping skills and knowledge. At the IMYB, they will be judged on their beekeeping skills and knowledge across a wide range of areas including frame/hive assembly, bee handling skills, queen grafting, bee biology and anatomy, pests and diseases and honey identification. The theme of this year’s event is “Beekeeping in Arid Lands” and participants will learn about the characteristics of beekeeping within desert environments and the ecological importance of bees for this unique ecosystem.
The Team will be traveling with two chaperones. The estimated cost for this trip, including the team registration fee and travel, is approximately $15,000. Fundraising efforts are underway to help offset the cost of the trip and make it more affordable for the youth and chaperones who are attending. The Team is selling honey gifts packs supplied by Hunnabees Honey and Co, notecards designed by artist Joanna Paul, and candles. They also have a gofundme page: gofund.me/6c592e69 (Team Canada 2024-International Meeting of Young Beekeepers).
My name is Heidi. I’m from Cavan, Ontario. I am 15 years old and have been beekeeping for 8 years with the Kawartha Junior Beekeepers program. I now volunteer my time as a mentor with Kawartha Junior Beekeepers, helping to foster the curiosity of next generation of beekeepers. My passion for beekeeping was my inspiration behind my science fair project which won 3rd place in the Earth and Environmental Sciences class of the 2024 Peterborough Science Fair. This December, it will be an honor to represent Canada at the IMYB being held in Dubai. Attending the IMYB will launch the next phase of my beekeeping venture, as I wish to make and foster international connections. Ultimately, my goal is to further my education in the pursuit of a career in honeybee research.My name is Rebecca. I am 17 years old and am going into grade 12 this year. I live in Pontypool, Ontario. My beekeeping journey began when I joined Kawartha Junior Beekeepers when I was 10 years old to try and fix my fear of bees. Kawartha Junior Beekeepers motivated me to have my own hives and to continue to support these pollinators within my community. I have become involved in community and school-based environmental organizations and created the Bee-Friend Pollinators outreach program and the Seed Library project. I was honoured to receive the 2024 Youth Environmental Hero award. My goal is to continue to support pollinators in my community and I am excited to expand my knowledge at the IMYB. The IMYB is an incredible opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the global impact of supporting pollinators and how we can all be part of this solution.Hi, I’m Ben from Trent Hills. I’ve been an avid beekeeper since I was 12, engaging deeply with classes through Dancing Bee Equipment and Kawartha Jr. Beekeepers. My passion for beekeeping led me to manage my own hives and start my first entrepreneurial venture selling my own honey. Beyond beekeeping, I’m dedicated to helping kids become confident swimmers. As a certified lifeguard and swim instructor, I run my own swimming lesson company, Aqueduct. At 15, I also launched a freeze-dried food business, which has been an exciting entrepreneurial journey, with my products now available in local stores and at farmers markets. In my community, I serve as the student representative on the Incredible Edibles Board and volunteer at our local YMCA pool. This December, I’m thrilled to be competing as part of Team Canada at the IMYB in Dubai so I can grow my knowledge of beekeeping around the world and the new technologies that come with it, as well as the social customs and norms of different cultures.
The IMYB started in 2010 in the Czech Republic and has become the largest international meeting for young beekeepers worldwide. The meeting includes a competition, as well as social and cultural activities. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these youth to represent their country at an international event. It is also a unique opportunity to learn about beekeeping in other countries. For more information about the IMYB, visit the IMYB website: https://www.icyb.cz/imyb.
