Alessandro Dieni / Marian MacNair

Alessandro Dieni holds a bachelor’s degree in ecology from Université de Sherbrooke (2011) and a master’s in biology from Université de Montréal (2015). His research project focused on the genetics of the populations of a chrysomelid (the lily leaf beetle) that arrived in Montréal in the mid-20th century. Afterwards he worked in agronomic research with the goal of limiting the use of pesticides in fruit production. As keenly interested as ever in the world of insects and their roles in the environment, Alessandro is now taking on fresh challenges at the Institut de recherche en biologie végétale (IRBV) as coordinator of Mission Monarch, a community science program under the auspices of the Insectarium de Montréal.

Marian MacNair grew up on a farm in the B.C. interior, before becoming a journalist and educator in Montreal. What began as a citizen science project to encourage gardeners to plant milkweed and document the results has morphed into a Masters in Plant Science at McGill, researching monarch butterfly preferences in Canada. When she isn't chasing butterflies, she maintains a blog: https://marianmacblog.com/.