The Trust was set-up by Dr Eva Crane in 2002 and is a grant giving charity. It also aims to be a portal to information of interest to beekeepers and bee scientists
The web site www.evacranetrust.org has been in operation for some time but since 12th May it has become easier to use and offers an amazing range of information which is being constantly expanded. The 3 main portals are:
1. Eva Crane Documents
This is being continually updated as we add more of Dr Crane’s original documents onto the site. These papers range from talks and presentations to her typescripts for book chapters and journal articles. It is truly a fascinating and informative collection.
2. Apiculture Abstracts
From 1949 to 2005 Dr Crane instigated a method of collecting and collating bee related abstracts form an infinite variety of sources and from all over the world. The collection has well over 60,000 abstracts in total. Now, working in collaboration with the National Library of Wales, the Trust is making freely available over 20,000 of these academic abstracts and hopes to add more as the time consuming task permits. These are an excellent first step for researchers and inquisitive beekeepers wishing to source scientific data. What is more it is often possible, working through the National Library of Wales, to source the full original papers form the Eva Crane Collection.
3. The Gallery
This is a personal collection of photographs taken by Dr Crane. It is an eclectic mix of world travel and beekeeping forays! There are approximately 500 images currently freely available, but this part of the web site is also being continually updated as there are a total of nearly 6,500 images which will eventually be made available.
For almost half a century Dr Crane was the driving force behind the provision of a sorting/clearing house and central reference point for bee information which was the equivalent of the internet of her day. The Trust would like to make sure this work is available for the enjoyment and benefit of all. It is hoped it will inspire further research and developments which might in turn be reflected on the web site that carries her name.
All updates will be regularly Tweeted: @evacranetrust
Richard Jones,
Chairman, The Eva Crane Trust.
