Kit Prendergast Explained

Kit Prendergast, nicknamed "The Bee Babette", is a wild bee ecologist from Perth, Western Australia.[1] [2] [3]

She studied at Curtin University[4] and gained her PhD after researching the biodiversity of native bees and pollination networks in urban areas, along with how to conserve them and the impact of honeybees on native bees.[5] [6] Prendergast has also researched and written about urban area issues for bees, focusing on Perth and the south west of Western Australia.

Prendergast goes under the moniker "The Bee Babette" when performing as a science communicator[2] and has published material about how to create bee sanctuaries.Her other areas of research include undertaking biodiversity assessments, pollination ecology, critiquing methods for surveying pollinators, native bee ecology and behaviour and citizen science.[7] [2] [5] [8] [9] [10] In 2019, Prendergast was named as a finalist for Young Scientist of the Year.[11]

She discovered a new species of native bee, Leioproctus zephyr, named after her dog Zephyr.[12] [13] [14] Prendergast also has a large tattoo of two bees having sex on her right shoulder. She describes the bees, Amegilla dawsoni, as her favourite bee species.[1]

Prendergast discovered two different species of native Australian bee (xanthesma (xenohesma) perpulchra and xanthesma (xanthesma) brachycera) were actually just one.[15] [16] [17]

Prendergast is also the author of Creating a Haven for Native Bees and Abuzz About Dawson's Burrowing Bee.[1]

Outside of her scientific work, Prendergast is a circus performer.[18] She also has an arts degree.[19]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Native bees and taxonomy with Dr Kit Prendergast (#34). 12 January 2023. STEAM powered show. 17 October 2021 . STEAM powered.
  2. Web site: Kit Prendergast. 2 December 2021 . 12 January 2023. The Conversation.
  3. Web site: Kit Prendergast .
  4. Web site: Kit Prendergast .
  5. Web site: European honey bees putting native species at risk, researchers say, but industry begs to differ. 12 January 2023. 9 March 2022. Ashleigh. Davis. Georgia. Hargreaves. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  6. Web site: Native Bee Buzz. 12 January 2023. Gardening Australia. 17 May 2019. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  7. Prendergast . Kit . Vanderstock . Amelie . Neilly . Heather . Ross . Catherine . Pirotta . Vanessa . Vanessa Pirotta . Tegart . Patrick . 2022 . Potential and pitfalls of citizen science with children: Reflections on Pollinators in the Playground project . Austral Ecology . 47 . 2 . 189–195 . 10.1111/aec.13031 . 233619135.
  8. Web site: Researcher urges hobby bee hives to shut to protect endangered native bees. Jon. Bassett. 21 April 2021. 12 January 2023. PerthNow.
  9. Web site: Native bees of south-west Western Australia. 21 May 2021. 12 January 2023. Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  10. Web site: Kit Prendergast. Profile. 12 January 2023.
  11. Web site: Native bees and taxonomy with Dr Kit Prendergast (#34) . 17 October 2021 .
  12. Web site: New native bee species with distinctive 'snout' discovered in Perth's Kings Park. Kate. Leaver. 12 January 2023. 5 November 2022. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  13. Web site: New unusual bee species discovered with dog-like snout. 31 October 2022. 12 January 2023. Curtin University.
  14. Web site: Curtin University scientist Kit Prendergast names new bee after her dog. Eileen. Wood. 4 October 2022. 12 January 2023. Border Mail.
  15. Web site: 2023-11-09 . Two bees or not two bees, that is the question . 2024-01-11 . PerthNow . en.
  16. Web site: Wilkinson . Lucien . 2023-10-30 . Two bee species become one as researchers solve identity puzzle News at Curtin . 2024-01-11 . en.
  17. Web site: Xanthesma (Xenohesma) perpulchra and Xanthesma (Xanthesma) brachycera are conspecific based on DNA barcodes . 2024-01-11 . Taxonomy Australia . en.
  18. Web site: Kit Prendergast, scientist and conservation biologist, dedicated to preserving indigenous native bees . 31 January 2021 .
  19. Web site: Dr Kit Prendergast the Bee Babette .

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