Dustin Bajer is an educator, master gardener, writer, beekeepers, and ecologically inspired designer, He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
As a child playing in the forest, Dustin developed an appreciation for the natural world. As an adult, Dustin works with clients to create a better world by partnering with nature.
Education
I graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Education and have ten years of classroom experience. While teaching high school science, I created a school permaculture club and worked with students to design and install food forests and an aquaponics system. Through Sustainable Food Edmonton‘s Urban Ag High program, I continue to work with teachers and students to promote urban agriculture in the classroom.
Urban Beekeeping
In 2011, I built a Warre beehive for my backyard. One year later, I modified the design to accommodate standard commercial frames, and the Beecentric Hive was born. Each Fall and Winter, I take orders and build hives designed for beekeepers and bees.
As a passionate urban beekeeper, I manage beehives for the Edmonton Valley Zoo, the Edmonton Expo Center, and the Northlands Youth Beekeeping Club. I teach beekeeping courses at the John Janzen Nature Centre.
I co-chair the Edmonton Food Council on which I have been a member since its inception in 2013. The Food Council works with City administration to implement fresh, Edmonton’s Food and Urban Agriculture Strategy.
Urban Forestry
In 2014, I partnered with Edmonton’s Roots for Trees program to plant native food forests in Edmonton’s river valley. Each food forest contains thousands of edible, perennial, native plants and is an example of how the City can partner with nature to increase biodiversity, food security, public engagement, and a sense of place while creating biodiversity and mitigating the risks of climate change.
I am an avid gardener with interests in urban agriculture, perennial food production, and community building. I presently run Forest City Plants, an urban plant nursery that works with the community to find and propagate unique, edible, hardy plants for market. In 2019, with support from the Edmonton Heritage Council, I began researching Edmonton’s heritage trees and plants.
I teach people how to solve problems by working with nature and offer consultation, public courses, and workshops on urban agriculture, beekeeping, and permaculture design.
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