Kit Prendergast, scientist and conservation biologist, dedicated to preserving indigenous native bees

Published: Jan. 30, 2021, 5 p.m.

Kit Prendergast is a native bee scientist and conservation biologist, dedicated to promoting evidence-based actions to preserve indigenous native bees. She earned a Forrest Scholarship for her Ph.D. research documenting native bee biodiversity in the southwest Western Australian biodiversity hotspot. She created a Facebook group 'Bees in the burbs' which now has almost 8.5K members, and has conducted citizen science projects to engage the community to care about native bees and ensure that there are thriving bee communities. Kit was awarded the Flow Hive Pollinator Support Program, Graduate Women WA Mary Walters Bursary, Australian Wildlife Society University Student Grants Scheme and the Ecological Society of Australia’s Outstanding Outreach Prize, and was a FameLab Australia finalist. She’s been invited to speak at community events and has published several scholarly articles. Kit has also written the popular book 'Creating a Haven for Native Bees.' When she's not out among the bees and flowers she is spending time with her dog, bunny and birds, or tumbling about doing acrobatics as a circus performer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.