Victorian Claire Moore will be among some esteemed company when she vies for the 2019 AgriFutures Rural Woman of the Year Award in Canberra next week.
Ms Moore will be one of seven finalists in the running for the prestigious title, set to be announced at a gala dinner at Parliament House next Wednesday.
She has been recognised for her work focused on the challenges facing bee populations across the world.
The Kyneton local was named the 2019 Victorian Rural Women's Award Winner for her project which involves breeding a genetically diverse range of queen bees that are healthy and adaptable in a variety of climates to address declining bee colony numbers.
"I am working with bee-breeding specialists and establishing a community orientated, clean test apiary to trial and document new bee crosses while teaching budding bee keepers the tricks of the trade," Ms Moore said.
Always fascinated by queen breeding, Ms Moore decided early on she would prefer to be a queen breeder than a beekeeper for honey.
"I am really passionate about inspiring Australian beekeepers to increase their hive numbers and expand their commercial beekeeping operations while also exporting Australia's healthy and clean bees to the world," she said.
Ms Moore will use her Westpac bursary to focus on hive management, pollination services, queen breeding and artificial insemination.
The other finalists in the running for next week's national award are Belinda Lay (Western Australia), Deanna Lush (South Australia), Anh Nguyen (Tasmania), Zoe Malone (NT), Jo Palmer (NSW/ACT) and Natasha Roebig (Queensland).
AgriFutures Australia managing director John Harvey said the Rural Woman of the Year Award was about acknowledging and supporting the essential role women play in rural business, industries and communities.
"The event is an important step in acknowledging the contribution of these outstanding and inspirational women," he said.
"The night is a celebration of their hard work and commitment and we are looking forward to showcasing their stories to the nation.
"In 2019, the award turns 21, and will see an Alumni of more than 300 women who continue to support each other, their communities and industry."
Applications for the 2020 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award open Thursday, 12 September 2019.
To find out more, click here.
The Rural Women's Award is proudly supported by Platinum Partner, Westpac.
The official media partner for the event is the publisher of this masthead, Australian Community Media's Agricultural Publishing and Events.
