Melanie Kirby
Melanie Kirby is an Interdisciplinarian integrating the pollinator stewardship, agroecology, and creative science communication as an Extension Educator for the Institute of American Indian Arts based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is also a professional queen honey bee breeder, consilience researcher, and writer who participates in several national and international organizations including serving on several boards. Melanie is a registered member of Tortugas Pueblo (a state recognized tribal community in southern NM- cousins to Taos & Ysleta Pueblos). She is the founder of Poeh Povi- The Flower Path, an Indigenous Matriarch collective working on community led pollinator stewardship initiatives in and of the Adaptive Bee Breeders Alliance which connects professional bee breeders with scientists for climate adaptive field research. Melanie is also a Fulbright Fellow, National Geographic Explorer, a NM Coalition to Enhance Working Lands Fellow, and a 2023 GRIST 50 Climate Fixer. She holds graduate degree in Entomology and serves as the Extension Educator for the Institute of American Indian Arts where she focuses on pairing TEK (traditional ecological knowledge) with western sustainable agriculture science. Melanie has been keeping bees professionally for 27 years and is grateful the bees have guided her around the globe broadening her interests in biodiversity conservation, regenerative stewardship, and environmental policy.
Plenary Speaker
Indigenous Insights: Integrating Regenerative Pollinator Stewardship for Changing Climes & Times