Nigel Raine is a Professor and Rebanks Family Chair in Pollinator Conservation at the University of Guelph, affiliated with the Ontario Agricultural College's School of Environmental Sciences. He leads research on pollinator conservation, ecology, and the impacts of environmental stressors like pesticides. His work bridges ecological science and policy, advising bodies such as the UK Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Agroecology and the European Food Safety Authority. Dr. Raine’s research focuses on pollinator behavior, habitat needs, and agrochemical effects, with a particular emphasis on bumblebees and solitary bees. He has held academic roles at Sheffield University, the Zoological Society of London, and Queen Mary University of London. Notable awards include Fellowships at the Royal Entomological Society and the Linnean Society of London. His lab investigates pollinator resilience, pesticide exposure risks, and ways to enhance agricultural sustainability. Recent studies explore how soil contamination and climate events like flooding affect pollinators. He advocates for habitat preservation and evidence-based policies to protect pollinators critical to global food systems. Raine’s advising and grants include contributions to the UK’s National Action Plan for pesticides and collaborations on pollinator-friendly cover crops in Ontario. His lab, based in the Bovey Building, integrates community science and advanced techniques like metabarcoding to monitor pollinator populations and ecological interactions.
