Kristine Schlamp

Throughout my career I have enjoyed a variety of dynamic, engaging and active responsibilities, situations that have involved integrating a balance of historical and current scientific crop and pest knowledge, an understanding of application-specific concerns, a realization of the ‘bigger picture’, as well as effective communication with growers, scientists, and affiliated extension personnel. I have collaborated with the general public, growers and front line workers in educational and co-operative research. We have explored strategies to mitigate pest problems, keeping in mind that some control methods, when used alone, can be ineffective and even prohibitively costly. Instead, relying on a cohesive integrated strategy of environmentally sound pest management tactics can be successful and financially rewarding. 

I have been teaching apprenticeship and diploma courses in pest management for the last decade at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Pest management is a very dynamic aspect of their education and has been changing drastically in recent years. The days of complete pest eradication are no longer valid. My teaching duties have required me to remain up to date with horticultural trends, for example, in response to increasing public pressure for a pesticide-free environment. 

For the past five years I have been the coordinator for the registered non-profit society of the Abbotsford Soil Conservation Association. I work closely with directors, farmers, growers/producers, BC Ministry of Agriculture (BC Agri) and City of Abbotsford staff. Coordination duties include bookkeeping and financial reporting, proposal writing, experimental design and implementation, data collection and analysis, event organization, education through workshops and forums, writing newsletters and fact sheets, maintaining a website and committee activities. Currently, I sit on several boards, such as the Abbotsford Agriculture Chamber of Commerce Committee, Abbotsford Environmental Advisory Committee, as well as the registered non-profit society, FarmStart BC. The Society's purpose is in developing and delivering innovative programs to help establish a new generation of enterprising, ecological farmers. I am the Vice President of the Professional Pest Management Association of BC and the Secretary of the BC Plant Protection Advisory Council. 

In the past work related duties included curriculum development for Plant Health BC in accordance with the BC Landscape and Nursery Association (BCNLA) and the Institute of Sustainable Horticulture (ISH). A compilation of aptitude and practical skill modules and workshops were comprised as requisite for the effective practice of landscape Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Sustainable Landscapes.

• IPM program manager providing leadership, training, coordination and supervision in all aspects of the Washington State University (WSU) Whatcom County IPM Research and Education program. Developing and implementing a program to build understanding and the successful adoption of IPM practices in a wide diversity of agricultural and urban interests in Whatcom County.
• Pesticide Information Officer accountable for the collection of pesticide information from a variety of sources for BC Agriculture.
• Assistant Supervisor responsible for reporting and monitoring pests of Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley cranberry, blueberry, raspberry fields and training scouts.

Much of my research has been applied and grower motivated. The projects I have participated in, for example, the efficacy of different species of Trichogramma wasps as a biological control agent in greenhouse vegetable crops, as well as exploring root-zone oxygenation in greenhouse cucumbers, are projects that were requested and funded by growers in these industries. My masters’ thesis was also grower motivated, designed to promote environmental sustainability through low impact pest-management methods, such as mating disruption, in commercial stone-fruit orchards.