Some people are bean counters, but Scott Meers chose instead to be a bug counter.
Now, let’s start off by saying that Meers, insect management specialist for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, absolutely knows that not all insects are bugs. But when it comes to extension and making insect management accessible, Meers knows full well that “bug” is what we call them.
Meers even went so far as to work the misnomer into his Twitter handle (@AbBugCounter) and the weekly, informal #AbBugChat held most Wednesdays on the social platform during the growing season. Meers choose to embrace social media and recognizing it for its far-reaching and interactive benefits from very early on, and his role as a bug counter has been ever-richer for it.
In this episode of Agronomy Geeks, I consider myself fortunate to get to ask Meers, the soft-spoken, down-to-earth entomologist about his job, his team mate (Shelley Barkley), his favourite pest, and the very important work of changing the conversation around insect management in agriculture.
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