Dr Amy-Marie
Gilpin
Nomia is delighted that one of Australia's highly respected pollination ecologists has expressed such strong interest in Nomia and in the scientific questions the program is being established to investigate.
Ground-nesting bees. Pollinator ecology. Agricultural science. Evidence before conclusions.
The right questions require the right scientific expertise
Amy's specialist research intersects directly with the biological and agricultural questions at the centre of Nomia.
From the outset, Nomia has understood that Australia's response to Varroa destructor must be grounded in credible science, intellectual honesty and a willingness to test difficult questions properly.
Dr Amy-Marie Gilpin's specialist research into native-bee ecology, ground-nesting bee habitat, nest architecture, plant-pollinator interactions, crop pollination and pollinator conservation speaks directly to that purpose.
Her experience is not simply relevant to the program. It sits at the heart of several of the scientific questions Nomia needs to answer.
We were enormously encouraged to hear that Amy regards Nomia's proposed research as worthwhile, that her laboratory has actively advocated for this kind of work, and that she is interested in discussing how she may participate.
With the warmest welcome,
Brannan James Tempest
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Ecology first. Agricultural value second.
A bee visiting a flower is not, by itself, proof of a scalable pollination system.
Nomia first needs to determine whether selected native ground-nesting bee populations can be supported, reproduce and persist under deliberately designed habitat conditions.
Only where ecological establishment succeeds should the program move to the separate question of agricultural pollination value.
That distinction is central to the evidence-first approach and closely aligned with Amy's work across native-bee ecology, plant-pollinator interactions and crop pollination.
Three connected questions
Nomia has to connect suitable habitat, persistent bee populations and measurable agricultural interaction. None can simply be assumed.
Can suitable nesting habitat be created?
Test substrate, moisture, exposure, shelter, forage and other environmental conditions associated with successful nesting and persistence.
Can populations reproduce and persist?
Measure nesting activity, reproduction, emergence, survival, retention and seasonal return rather than treating initial presence as success.
Does biological success produce crop value?
Where establishment succeeds, separately test flower visitation, pollen transfer, crop response and practical agricultural usefulness.
The proposition must be capable of failing
Nomia is not being established to produce a predetermined conclusion.
We make no predetermined claim that Australian native bees can replace European honey bees.
Managed honey bees will remain essential to Australian agriculture. The strategic question is whether selected Australian native species can provide a complementary layer of pollination resilience.
Population establishment, reproduction, retention, agricultural interaction, repeatability and practical management all require evidence.
Good science must be allowed to say no.
Positive findings can justify the next stage.
Negative findings can prevent money and effort being committed to an approach that does not work.
Inconclusive findings identify where the experiment or biological understanding needs to improve.
The objective is not to prove Nomia right. It is to determine what the evidence supports.
Each stage must earn the next
Agricultural claims should follow biological evidence rather than precede it.
Amy, we are genuinely excited about what may be possible
Having a scientist of your standing and directly relevant expertise interested in this mission is a tremendous opportunity for Nomia.
More importantly, it is an opportunity to help build evidence that may matter deeply to Australian biodiversity, regional agriculture and long-term pollination resilience.
Thank you for responding with such warmth and enthusiasm. We look forward to speaking with you, listening carefully and exploring the capacity in which your knowledge could best help shape this important work.
Government Evidence: The Damage Is Already Being Felt
The consequences of Varroa destructor in Australia are no longer merely projections. Australian government agencies are documenting impacts on beekeepers, hive numbers, pollination services and the effectiveness of available Varroa treatments.
Read the Australian Government and state government evidence directly.
Individual reports of hive loss, treatment resistance, increased pollination cost or crop impact should not automatically be treated as national averages. Nomia distinguishes documented current impacts from credible future risks and relies wherever possible on primary government and scientific evidence.