Speaking Engagements
Christine McDonald and her husband, Tavis, run 200 hives in Northwest BC for nuc sales and honey production. They consistently see less than 10% winter losses. Their queen rearing and nuc wintering programs are cornerstones to their success. They produce a monofloral Fireweed honey and a large variety of pure beeswax candles for local and regional markets.
Christine is currently pursuing her Master Beekeeper Certification through Cornell University and will sit her exam series in the spring of 2023.
Formerly a middle-school educator, Christine was the science teacher that could get thirteen year-old hockey players excited about the periodic table of the elements. Now her focus has shifted to beekeeping, but her combination of nerdy enthusiasm and humour mean that she can still capture and keep an audience's attention. While her biggest audience is on Instagram, Christine's ability to educate and entertain extends well beyond the 15 seconds of a reel with her engaging talks.
Speaking Topics
Social Media for Beekeepers. If only capturing 10,000 followers were as easy as catching a swarm! Christine shares her tips for connecting authentically with an online audience without it taking too much time away from what we all really want to be doing: playing with bees.
Making Money without Honey. Christine shares the story of an early year in her family business when 75 hives failed to produce a honey crop and how she and her husband used that as a catalyst to build diversity and resilience into their business.
Nucs for the North. Christine and Tavis had a vision to become a reliable source of high-quality nucs in Northern British Columbia. At 54º latitude, they have experimented and honed an outdoor wintering strategy for nucs that is starting to replace expensive imports into the region.
Christine is qualified and comfortable to speak on a wide range of topics around bees and beekeeping beyond those listed above and she would be happy to prepare a presentation to fit your unique audience.