Lori Weidenhammer, aka Madame Beespeaker is a Vancouver performance-based interdisciplinary artist and educator. She is a settler originally from Cactus Lake, Saskatchewan. Lori is the author of a best-selling book called Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide for Saving the Bees published by Douglas and McIntyre. For the past several years she has been appearing as the persona Madame Beespeaker, practising the tradition of “telling the bees”. As a food security volunteer, artist and activist she works with students of all ages on eating locally and gardening for pollinators. She uses many art forms in her art practise including garden designing, drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, cyanotypes, sculpture, photography, textiles, singing, culinary arts and installation. Lori is a board member of the Native Bee Society of British Columbia and a recipient of the Entomological Society of Canada’s Norman Criddle award for her work as an amateur naturalist.