 | Michigan Beekeepers Association |
Committee Members
Kimi Baker |
Marge Kesler and Audrey Heckwolf have been beekeeping for five years and in 2020 decided to develop their hobby into something really special. They started Bestbees creating products from their hives to make their hobby financially sustainable and support all kinds of pollinators through education. Their activity-driven children’s program has been a motivating mission and today they produce and sell many products from their hives and donate 100% of the proceeds to bee conservation and education. Both Marge and Audrey are both full time chefs and play in the bee yard in their free time. | Kimi Baker is a beekeeper, fledgling homesteader and local-food advocate. By day, she works in media and marketing where she helps connect communities with information. She grew up on a fourth-generation fruit farm in northern Michigan where she developed an appreciation of agriculture and love of honeybees. Now with her own small homestead and apiary, she passionately supports all types of pollinators. Kimi loves helping kids and other curious minds learn about pollinators, agriculture and where food comes from. She lives in southwest Michigan with her husband, two kids and a plethora of animals (and probably more to come). | There are two things that have consistently been part of Lynn’s life story, and that is enjoying the outdoors and working with children. A small snippet of life for Lynn was canoeing to taking groups of middle schoolers on kayak trips, being a naturalist for school field trips, storytelling and being a public-school teacher. As a retired teacher, the drive to learn new things continued. She became immersed in the world of honey bees and pollinators. The next step was to take that new found knowledge and share it with others. Lynn continues to build her experiences with nature, honey bees and pollinators, storytelling, and teaching if its with her grandchildren or in the classroom. |
Camila Martins |
Camila grew up in São Paulo, Brazil and has been living in Michigan since 2008. Still active in the workforce, Camila is a full-time cybersecurity professional, who got into beekeeping as a hobby in 2019. She loves to see how the bees forage around her 25-acre property in the thumb of Michigan without a concern, as plants grow wild and naturally. Camila has a passion for sharing knowledge and fostering a feeling of inclusion in the community. As the Ambassador Coordinator, she connects mentors who want to share their knowledge with people in their local communities who want to learn about bees and other pollinators. It is such a rewarding experience for everyone involved! Not-so-fun fact: Camila's father was attacked by a swarm of Africanized honey bees in Southeast Brazil when he was 12, back in 1962. They removed 100+ stings. Don't worry! He survived and believes his good health is a result of it. | Rich was a lifelong camera operator and media production company owner and considered himself a quiet introvert who hated meetings. That all changed when he discovered mead and apis mellifera. Now Rich declares “the bees made me do it!” A self-proclaimed “tree hugger", he enjoys hunting for mushrooms and has even traveled around the world on a ship. In his spare time, Rich enjoys making candles and chocolate truffles. Rich serves as the current president of the Michigan Beekeepers Association (MBA) , the Educational Director of the Southeastern Michigan Beekeepers Association (SEMBA) and the Vice President of the Eastern Apicultural Society (EAS). He loves going to conferences and talking with beekeepers: "some of the greatest people in the world!” And yes, Rich has visited all 36 bee clubs in the state of Michigan! |