Pollinators are pillars of our ecosystems and on UN World Bee day I chat with Dr. Michael Eickermann from LIST. Also, Evegenia Paliy tells us about the Ukraine-Luxembourg Business Club's upcoming event.

Pollinators are pillars of our ecosystems and on UN World Bee day I chat with Dr. Michael Eickermann from LIST. Also, Evgenia Paliy tells us about the Ukraine-Luxembourg Business Club's upcoming event.

Dr. Michael Eickermann is an agricultural entomologist (someone who studied insects) at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) since 2007. He researches fundamental and applied national and international research projects on plant protection, apiculture (beekeeping) and the development of alternative controls for pests. He now also works on the impact of climate change on agricultural systems.

For 10 years Michael has been a beekeeper himself. He has also been on the board of National Beekeeper Organisation and editor of the Luxembourgish Beekeeping Journal (Lëtzebuerger Beien-Zeitung).

The 20th of May was declared the “World Bee Day” by the UN to raise awareness about the importance of honeybees as pollinators. The total economic value of pollination worldwide has been estimated at around $153 billion.

"Every third bite of food we take we owe to pollination of plants by bees."

Of course, honeybees also produce honey, wax, propolis, gelée royal and collect pollen.

And alongside the honeybee, we celebrate butterflies, bumble bees, solitary bees and beetles as well as bats as vital pollinators.

Due to the importance of pollination, the Agro-environmental Systems Group at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is studying the influence of agricultural practices on honeybee health since 2010 in a project called “BeeFirst”. Funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development and carried out in close collaboration with the Administration des Services Vétérinaires (ASV) and the Administration des Services Techniques de l'Agriculture (ASTA), several factors affecting colony losses in winter were identified.

https://www.list.lu/en/research/project/beefirst/

https://www.list.lu/en/environment/environmental-sensing-and-modelling/group/agro-environmental-systems-group/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-eickermann-3905411a8/

Business Stands with Ukraine

Evgenia Paliy dashed into my studio directly from a French law exam to tell us about an upcoming event to raise money and awareness for SMEs in Ukraine and independent artist refugees here in Luxembourg.

Evgenia is the CEO and a founding board member of the Ukraine-Luxembourg Business Club asbl (ULBC).

Together with its partners Luxinnovation, Luxembourg for Finance and the Embassy of Ukraine in Brussels they invite you to attend a charity dinner with a silent art auction.

The charity dinner aims to raise the profile for SME business and startups in Ukraine which are affected by the war. The proceeds from the entry tickets, sponsorship packages and private donations will be channeled to their international partner - Ukrainian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (UVCA) which provides aid for the Ukrainian startup community in the distressed territory, and whose innovative business currently need some help to stay afloat and continue to support the Ukrainian economy.

Ukrainian artists

This event is performance-based and will feature Ukrainian artists: Oxana Berezhna and a sculptor Michael Levchenko, and two Luxembourgish artists: Ott Neuens and Elisabeth Calmes. It will be possibly to meet the artists in person and buy their art works on the night itself.

The evening will continue with the singing of two vocalists of the Taras Shevchenko National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine Nataliia Semeniuta and Tetiana Liubymenko who recently became refugees in Luxembourg.

To conclude, the winners of multiple international contests in Latin dancing, Renat and Inna Korobka will demonstrate the passion and braveness of the Ukrainian fight via their performance.

Many talented, well-educated people found their temporarily homes in Luxembourg, and ULBC want to shine a light on the talent that now resides here.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

ULBC are looking for sponsors, media partners and everybody who would like to join the initiative. You can Buy a ticket for the event: price for the single ticket is EUR 175

The charity dinner with a silent art auction “Business Stands with Ukraine” will take place on June 9th in Luxembourg city. For more information about the event please visit https://www.weareulbc.com/

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