Online Pollinator
Stewardship Program
Australia
What is the Online Pollinator Stewardship Program?
The Online Pollinator Stewardship Program is a science-based education program that will deliver online modules to increase public understanding and support for managed and wild pollinators.
A science-based education program to support pollinators
The Online Pollinator Stewardship Program features eight 90-minute engaging modules covering topics such as pollinator identification and monitoring, habitat creation, managed and wild pollination services and pollination impact.
The program has been adapted from a proven US program and co-designed with Australian scientists to suit local landscapes and communities.
Who can participate?
The Online Pollinator Stewardship Program has been designed for people in agriculture, land managers, educators, students, government and community groups – anyone with an interest in increasing pollinator abundance, enhancing pollinator environments and improving pollination outcomes.
After completing the program participants will increase their understanding of pollinators and can adopt climate-smart, sustainable agricultural and land management practices.
The program includes an Indigenous learning module focused on knowledge and practices related to pollinator conservation developed in collaboration with First Nations people.
Learn online and work on real-world projects
The Online Pollinator Stewardship Program’s flexible online delivery allows participants to complete the course at their own convenience.
At the end of the program participants will complete either a sustainability project, such as developing or restoring pollinator habitats and an education project, to raise awareness of threats to pollinators and encourage community action.
Program structure
The eight-week program features eight online modules and weekly live Q&A sessions hosted by subject-matter experts providing the critical skills needed to support pollinators.
Module 5 includes three variations, allowing participants to choose the option that best aligns with their interests or needs.
Each module includes an information booklet, additional learning materials and an online quiz. Modules will be available one week before the live Q&A sessions.
Learn more about the Online Pollinator Stewardship Program modules:
- An introduction to Australia’s native bees and practical ways to support pollinators.
- Learn the fundamentals of pollination, explore different pollinator groups and discover their role in ecosystems and agriculture.
Virtual tutorial date: Wednesday, 6 May 2026
- Explore Indigenous Australians’ deep connection to land, pollinators and stingless bees.
- Understand the cultural significance of native stingless bees and learn how Indigenous knowledge complements scientific research.
Virtual tutorial date: Wednesday, 13 May 2026
- An introduction to non-bee pollinators including flies, butterflies, moths, beetles, wasps and vertebrates such as honey possums.
- Explore their unique roles in pollinating native plants and crops.
Virtual tutorial date: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
- Develop skills to design and create spaces that support pollinators in local environments.
- Learn how to plan and implement a pollinator-friendly habitat project.
Virtual tutorial date: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
- Create pollinator-friendly spaces at home with practical, easy-to-follow steps.
- Learn how to turn a home garden into a thriving pollinator haven.
Virtual tutorial date: Tuesday, 2 June 2026
- Examine the significance of managing public land with pollinators in mind.
- Learn how councils and communities collaborate, and review case studies of successful projects.
Virtual tutorial date: Wednesday, 3 June 2026
- Understand how pollinator health supports sustainable farming and food production.
- Learn about practical measures farmers can take to support pollinator health and biodiversity.
Virtual tutorial date: Thursday, 4 June 2026
- Learn how to identify major insect orders and Australian bee families.
- Incorporate monitoring tools and methods to track pollinator presence and activity.
Virtual tutorial date: Wednesday, 10 June 2026
- Explore honeybee biology, history, cultural significance and their importance in food production.
- Learn about pollination services and challenges such as Varroa mite.
Virtual tutorial date: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
- Discover tools to advocate for pollinator conservation and foster community engagement.
- Learn tips on signage, storytelling, and art and science projects that inspire others to support pollinators.
- Completion of a sustainability or education project.
Virtual tutorial date: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Timeline
The program is launching in May 2026, and it costs $129 to enrol, with a limited number of places available.
Live tutorials commence on Wednesday, 6 May 2026, with reading materials available one week in advance. Sessions will run each week through to the final tutorial on Wednesday, 24 June 2026.
Speakers
Dr Megan Halcroft
Megan was a late comer to the world of bees, giving up a career in nursing in 1998 for the study of plants and invertebrates. Megan’s introduction to bees came when she did a unit in apiculture, but when that introduced her to Australia’s native bees, she was hooked.
Research on the stingless bee, Austroplebeia australis, during her Honours and PhD, became the catalyst for Megan’s hunger for knowledge about the hundreds of unnoticed native bees in our environment. She now shares the knowledge she has gained with community groups, face to face and through social media.
Lara Tilbrook
Lara Tilbrook leads with love, working collectively to nurture relational systems for sustainable care and wellbeing with particular expertise in arts & culture, environmental management and community development.
Lara cares for Country whilst directing her business Bush Organics Kangaroo Island, on the land of the Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri and Narungga, her ancestral homelands. She is an Apiarist amongst many other things and works as an Artist, Consultant, Project and Workshop Facilitator.
Suzanne Thompson
Suzanne Thompson is the Director of the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network and the Founder and Managing Director of Yambangku Aboriginal Cultural Heritage & Tourism Development Aboriginal Corporation.
Suzanne is a proud Iningai Aboriginal woman and leads a pilot Land Restoration Fund HIR carbon project ‘Murra Yambangku’, which incorporates sustainable management practices for research and monetisation of ecosystem services.
Professor Romina Rader
Romina is a Professor in the School of Environment and Rural Sciences at the University of New England, Armidale, NSW.
Her research group works on sustainable food production with expertise in pollination ecology, entomology, landscape ecology and plant–animal interactions in natural and human-modified landscapes.
Dr Karen Santos
Karen is a pollination ecologist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of New England, Armidale, NSW. Her work focuses on plant–pollinator interactions in both agricultural and natural ecosystems, with an emphasis on understanding how pollinator behaviour influences crop yield and ecosystem function.
Her research aims to generate practical and conservation-relevant insights that secure food production while supporting pollinator biodiversity.
Dr Lena Alice Schmidt
Lena is an agricultural and environmental scientist focusing on pollination ecology, biodiversity research and sustainable land management across Australian landscapes.
She works with farmers, land managers and communities to broaden understanding of pollinators beyond bees, translating research into practical actions that support healthy ecosystems and resilient food systems.
Jelena Preradović
Jelena is a PhD candidate in the School of Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England, Armidale, NSW. Originally from Novi Sad, Serbia, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and a Master of Ecology specialising in Nature Protection and Environmental Sustainability from the University of Novi Sad.
Prior to commencing her PhD, she was involved in ecological non-government organisations and research within the Laboratory for Biodiversity, strengthening her focus on biodiversity conservation and community ecology. Her current research focuses on pollination ecology and plant–pollinator interactions.
Tshering Nidup
Tshering is a PhD candidate at the University of New England, Armidale, NSW. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Life Science from Bhutan and a Master’s degree in Ecology from Thailand.
Tshering currently works on the pollination of wild plants and novel cultivated crops in Australia as part of the Rader Lab, under a dynamic supervisory team with diverse backgrounds in ecology.
Dr Anna Carrucan
Dr Anna Carrucan is a second-generation beekeeper, with a PhD in botany, as well as a qualified teacher and educator, biologist and science communicator. Anna is dedicated to elevating scientific approaches to beekeeping and celebrating pure, natural honey and educating about the intricate interconnectedness of gardens, farms, ecology, pollination, the environment and the importance of all bees.
In 2018, a summer fire tore through Anna's rural property, which was followed by an unexpected career change. The idea was hatched to create something bigger than keeping hives for honey, and to build upon her knowledge of plants, flora, ecology, science, communication and education to bring awareness and understanding of bees in our productive and natural landscapes.
Danny Le Feuvre
Danny Le Feuvre is CEO of the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, the national peak body for beekeepers. Danny has been a commercial beekeeper for 15 years, providing pollination services in South Australia and is the Founding Director of Australian Bee Services.
He is currently a Director of AgriFutures Australia and a member of the Hort Innovation Expert Advisory Panel. Danny has a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Melbourne, a Masters in Agribusiness from the University of Adelaide and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Anthony Colangelo
Anthony Colangelo is the Outreach and Education Specialist at Pollinator Partnership Canada. He is a biology enthusiast who spends most of his time taking photographs of the local bees and pollinators and uploading them to iNaturalist.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, majoring in Biology, and has been working with Pollinator Partnership Canada for 8 years. Anthony leads the Pollinator Steward Certification Program, as well as the Plan Bee Community Science program studying plant-pollinator interactions in the northern Canadian Territories. Anthony lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, and is excited to be working toward improving pollinator protection and health.
Clancy Lester
Clancy Lester is an environmental educator and science communicator focused on pollinators, urban biodiversity and climate. Through his website Bees & Blossoms, he delivers workshops and presentations on native pollinators.
Clancy’s work is grounded in collaboration and community engagement, with support from organisations including the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal, Zoos Victoria and Bloomberg Philanthropies. He is passionate about integrating scientific knowledge with Indigenous perspectives to strengthen understanding and care for pollinators.
Supported by
The Online Pollinator Stewardship Program is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.
The Online Pollinator Stewardship Program is a Wheen Bee Foundation program.
Online Pollinator Stewardship Program
Registrations are closed.
To be notified when applications open for the next intake, please register your interest below.
Online Pollinator Stewardship Program
Subscribe to The Latest Buzz for the latest updates.