The Pollenize Intern Ecologist Q&A
Will Bayfield-Farrell: Intern Ecologist
Will Bayfield-Farrell joined us in February 2022 as an Intern Ecologist to support our biodiversity research projects. He has a range of valuable knowledge surrounding niche areas of conservation and it was extremely clear from the get-go that he is utterly bug mad. As with all great entomologists, Will has tackled mountains and jungles in the search of ecological surprise… he’s certainly been bitten by a travel bug or two.
In the last few months, Will has got stuck right in with all things Pollenize. From helping with beekeeping, building pioneering research hives and moth traps, to packing and delivering seed packets for our S4S project. He even stepped forward to represent us on the news!
Let’s find out a little bit more about our very own Moth Boffin…
You’re studying an undergrad in Conservation Biology at Plymouth University, can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you down that path?
I can actually tell you the exact origin of my career in conservation. In 2017 I was lucky enough join go on a two-week expedition to Central America where I was inspired by the wildlife, specifically a group of beetles known as Chrysina. These gold, silver, red and green beetles set me on my path to invertebrate conservation and entomology. Since then, I started my undergraduate degree and I know this is what I want to do with my career.
Conservation biology is a broad and complex field, is there an area that specifically interests you and how did this lead to getting involved with Pollenize?
I have focused my career work on beetles, moths, and other insects. So Pollenize, a company working with pollinators such as bees and moths, was a great opportunity to get involved with something close to my interests and local to Plymouth. I met Matt at a moth trap that was set up for my university field course in Devon, he was keen to get in someone to work with moths and pretty much got the job on the spot.
Will’s Pet African Flower Beetles John & Butter!
Have you worked this closely with honey bees before? What is it like?
I have not worked with them directly, but I have always had an interest. I have written essays on them for university and find them and their lifecycle fascinating. I have previously shadowed a local beekeeper just out of interest, and the complexity of their world and the hive is so interesting to me. I also love the rush of have hundreds of stingers flying around you, if I’m in a suit that is.
Tell us a little bit about what you’re currently working on and why is it important?
At Pollenize, I’m working on using electron microscopy and DNA analysis to look at moth-plant pollinator interactions and helping Erin to develop a moth trap that passively ID’s moth specimens. This will help us understand the role moths play in pollination and how effective they are as pollinators. The role of moths as pollinators isn’t very well studied in literature and is almost entirely unknown to the public, so I’d love to raise the public’s awareness of the world of moths.
Outside of Pollenize, I am writing a paper on Neotropical beetles from Central America, and I’m hoping to flyout in the summer and carry out research for my dissertation in 2022/2023.
Describe your role for Pollenize in 3 words…
Sexy moth man.
Getting stuck into the world of Pollenize
You recently represented Pollenize on the ITV news to talk about the government’s decision to use the previously banned neonicotinoid chemical Thiamethoxam pesticide on sugar beet crops. Why is the use of such chemicals such a controversial issue and what does it mean for pollinators and the ecosystem as a whole?
I was quite nervous to talk on the news about neonicotinoids, so nervous that I accidentally called birds mammals (luckily, they edited that out). As a scientist I wanted to give a balanced point of view as often the news runs a bit wild with a story. The government had a fair reason to allow the use of this pesticide as there is a high risk of the spread of a serious virus across sugar beet crops in the UK, spread by aphids. Neonicotinoids are an effective pesticide, but there is a lot of controversy around the research that has been done on its effects on the environment. This pesticide kills anything that eats the crop it covers, reducing local invertebrate populations, and the chemical can remain in the environment, spreading into soils and water. However, sugar beet crop only covers 0.6% of the UK farmland and 0.4% of total UK land. Sugar beet crop also don’t flower, so won’t attract many pollinators, such as bees. So, there is an argument to whether the use of this pesticide was necessary, and I think it’s important to research these issues and develop an informed opinion. There is plenty more to talk about in the case of neonicotinoids, so if you’re interested look into it, you may learn something new!
Aside from championing our planet’s biodiversity, how else do you like to spend your time?
I like to stay active in my spare time. I’m a keen climber, which is how I like to spend most of my free time. I always want to get out into the wild, going climbing on Dartmoor, free diving and surfing along the coast of Devon and Cornwall, and hiking until my feet hurt. But since 2017 I’ve been keen to explore the world and see more of the wilderness across the globe, particularly the jungles of Central America, where there is always the potential to discover something new!
Have you got any exciting plans for the future?
As I mentioned I am planning to go do research for my dissertation this summer. I will hopefully be going to Honduras to study the diversity of beetles in cloud forest habitats, where the jungles are at such a high elevation they are usually engulfed by cloud, a truly unique environment. I am also hoping to collect beetle specimens in Panama, with the aim of better understanding the biodiversity of the beautiful country. And who knows, maybe we’ll find something new and I’ll get the chance to name my own species!
