Mark Winston was the recipient of the 2015 Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction for his book Bee Time: Lessons From the Hive. One of the world’s leading experts on bees and pollination, Dr. Winston is also an internationally recognized researcher, teacher and writer. He directed Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue for 12 years, where he founded the Centre’s Semester in Dialogue, a program that creates leadership development opportunities that equip and empower students contribute to social change in communities.

In this episode Mark reflects on 30 years since the publication of his first book “Biology of the Honey Bee” (1987) and the forthcoming release of his latest book with Renée Sarojini Saklikar “Listening to the Bees” (2018).  He discusses how communication (both within and beyond the hive) has been a thread through his work.

[aesop_audio src=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/pollination/PolliNation_-_43_-_Mark_L._Winston.mp3″ loop=”off” viewstart=”off” viewend=”off” hidden=”off”]

You can Subscribe and Listen to PolliNation on Apple Podcasts.

And be sure to leave us a Rating and Review!

“For a number of years I was [not working with bees], but I found first that I missed it, I missed the people, I missed the bees, and then I started realizing all the stuff I was doing in dialogue grew out of my life in bees“. – Mark Winston

Show Notes:

• Mark’s reflections on writing “Honey Bee Biology” in the mid-1980s
• Mark’s work the role of honey bee queen mandibular pheromone
• How to write in a way that is accessible to a broad audience
• Mark talks about his long-running column in Bee Culture magazine
• What has remained the same and what has changed around Mark’s thinking about bees.
• What inspired Mark’s newest book “Listening to the Bees” (2018)
• What is so unique about the format, style and writing in “Listening to the Bees”

“To me bees are unknowable, and I say that as someone who has done a lot of research and who has had a lot of students who helped us to learn more about bees“. – Mark Winston

Links Mentioned:

• Learn more about the books of Mark’s that he talks about in the episode:
  • Winston, M.L. and Saklikar, R.S. 2018 “Listening to the Bees” Harbour Publishing.
  • Winston, M.L. 2014. “Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive.” Harvard Univ. Press
  • Winston, M.L. 2002. “Travels in the Genetically Modified Zone.” Harvard University Press
  • Winston, M.L. 1998. “From Where I Sit: Essays on Bees, Beekeeping, and Science.” Cornell University Press, Ithaca, N.Y.
  • Winston, M.L. 1997. “Nature Wars: People vs. Pests.” Harvard University Press., Cambridge, Mass. 2003.
  • Winston, M.L. 1987. “The Biology of the Honey Bee.” Harvard University Press
• Mark talking about building community through dialogue.
• Check out Mark’s favorite books about bees:
  • Ribbands, R. 1953. “The Behavioural and Social Life of Honeybees.” IBRA and Northern Bee Books
  • Maeterlinck, M. 1901. “The Life of the Bee.”
  • Wilson, E.O. 1971. “The Insect Societies.” Belknap Press.
• Mark’s favorite tool: communication
• Mark’s favorite pollinator: the communicative honey bee
• Connect with Mark L. Winston at his website.
• Mark Winston’s presentation at Sam Sullivan’s 25th Public Salon.