Bring Back the Pollinators: Get the word out!

Join the Xerces Community Engagement team for an exploration of various ways to spread the word about pollinator conservation and how to get your community more involved. See examples of what others have done and learn about Bee City USA, the Pollinator Protection Pledge, and X Kids, a new Xerces program.
This is the third webinar in the four-part series in Bring Back the Pollinators.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Click here for more information and to register.

Matthew Shepherd

Director of Outreach and Education – The Xerces Society

Matthew has worked for the Xerces Society for more than two decades, initially at the vanguard of a new movement to protect pollinators, but then on endangered species and a range of other projects. He is the long-time editor of Wings magazine, and he spent several years leading Xerces’ communications effort. His current work is focused on outreach, community engagement, and conservation in towns and cities. Matthew is author of numerous articles and other publications, including Attracting Native Pollinators (Storey Publishing, 2011) and Gardening for Butterflies (Timber Press, 2016).

Laura Rost

Bee City USA Coordinator – The Xerces Society

Laura has worked in development and communications for environmental groups since 2005, and has been with the Xerces Society since 2014. She loves to connect with members and share Xerces resources with the public. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a certificate in nonprofit management from Southern Oregon University. While at SOU, Laura led the successful student referendum to offset 100% of natural gas and electricity consumed at university facilities through the purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs), making SOU the first public university in the nation to do so. At her home in Milwaukie, Oregon, Laura is converting her yard into pollinator habitat and an urban farm. She volunteers for her local school district’s clothes closet and food bank, and serves on the board of the Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery.

Rachel Dunham

Community Engagement Coordinator – The Xerces Society

Engagement Coordinator, Rachel has built our volunteer program from the ground up and is finding new ways for Xerces to connect to communities. As an Oregonian, she has always loved wildlife and being outdoors. Rachel pursued her passion for nature at Seattle Pacific University, graduating with a bachelor’s in ecology, and earning a master’s of wildlife conservation from the University of Maine. She spent years traveling between Alaska and Hawaii, working as a naturalist for the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Princess Cruise Lines. Rachel also worked as a research associate in Panama and northern British Columbia. Before Xerces, Rachel worked at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, managing their public programs. Rachel lives in Missoula, Montana with her husband Chad and their dog Bear. They spend their time hiking, camping, and traveling the world.