Eveline entered the world of ‘bugs’ (entomology) through a serendipitous route.  While working towards a degree in Occupational Therapy at Simon Fraser University she started babysitting for a well known Entomology Professor.  A prolonged illness forced her to take six months off from school and work and, after regaining her health, she phoned him to see if she could get her job back.

 

He informed her that they had found another babysitter (who worked for less money!) but told her she could work for him for six weeks identifying Collembola.  “What is that?” she asked.  “Come to work on Monday and find out!” he answered. 

 

And so began a 40 year journey into the world of west coast forest insects, particularly the ambrosia beetle, the insect she’ll present tonight.   Along the way she changed her major, married a fisherman, worked as a deckhand up and down the BC coast, had two daughters, and completed a Masters Degree in Environment and Management.  In 1995, she started Woodstock Management Inc., a company that uses the pheromone technology she worked on during those early years at Simon Fraser with Dr. John Borden.