Bee City USA-Hampton Pollinator Webinar Series
2022-01-10 19:00 - 2022-01-20 20:00 (America/New_York) | Online
This webinar series take you through a variety of pollinators and how to attract and grow for them. Join us on our pollinator journey!
January 20, 2022: A Year in the Life, Honey Bee and Beekeeper with Al Banwell
February 17, 2022: Beginner’s Guide to Mason and Leafcutter Bees with Marty Wood
March 17, 2022: Growing Butterflies with George Curran
April 21, 2022: Phoebus Waterfront Park Pollinator Garden with April Receveur
May 19, 2022: Container Gardening with Gayle Mooney
June 16, 2022: Pollinators and Beneficial Insects in the Garden with Dr. Barb Abraham
July 21, 2022: There’s More Than One Tree to Help Our Pollinators! with Debbie Blanton

Saving Western Monarchs: Creating Habitat in California
2022-02-24 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Emma Pelton, Senior Conservation Biologist, and Angela Laws, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist with Xerces, to learn more about the exciting work Xerces is doing to protect western monarchs in California. We will talk about the status of western monarchs, including information from the recent overwintering counts, and then discuss the work Xerces is doing with partners around the state to create and protect monarch habitat in their overwintering and breeding grounds.
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.

Best Practices for Pollinators Summit
2022-03-01 09:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Online
Join the Pollinator Friendly Alliance and Xerces Society for this three-day online event with a wealth of presenters and topics. Participants will learn ecologically sound land stewardship practices that promote pollinators, climate resilience, clean water and lands. Summit topics provide practical knowledge and innovation on pesticide reduction, habitat installation, soil health and more.
Click here for more information and to register.

How Everyone Can Contribute to Pollinator Conservation
2022-03-03 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Maddy Kangas, Monarch Butterfly Conservation Planner with the Xerces Society, for this webinar hosted by the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. Maddy will discuss the status of pollinators, including monarch butterflies, and need for conservation action; monarch biology and habitat requirements; land management practices to protect pollinators; examples of pollinator habitat projects; and how you can get involved (community science programs and more).

Planting for Pollinators - Addressing the Very Real and Hidden Risks of Systemic Pesticide Contamination
2022-03-16 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Are your pollinator-friendly plants pesticide-free? Studies are showing that too many landscape plants and trees are pre-treated well before sale with long lasting pesticides, including both insecticides and fungicides. We don’t want to betray the pollinators we are working to save by luring them to flowers that potentially can cause them harm. Learn how to ask the right questions to get the correct answers from your nursery, tree broker or landscape professional. Join us for a conversation about pre-treated plants and trees with Dr. Susan Kegley, Pesticide Toxicologist and organic farmer, Aimee Code and Sharon Selvaggio of Xerces Society, and Podcaster Terry Oxford along with Kreigh and Ashley of Burbank’s Monarch Mile.
Register in advance for this webinar here.

How to host a free film screening: My Garden of a Thousand Bees
2022-04-05 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Bee City USA and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios to learn how Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA affiliates can host a free film screening of My Garden of a Thousand Bees in their communities. Includes a free promotional toolkit. This webinar will be recorded and available to affiliates. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
Speakers:
Alex Pearson, Impact & Communications Producer, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
Matthew Shepherd, Director of Outreach & Education, The Xerces Society
Laura Rost, Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA Coordinator, The Xerces Society
About the film:
My Garden of a Thousand Bees follows acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn during the COVID-19 lockdown of spring and summer 2020, as he becomes bee obsessed and develops relationships with individual bees. Filming more than 60 species of bees, from Britain’s largest bumblebees to scissor bees, which are the size of a mosquito, Dohrn observes how differences in behavior set different species apart from each other. Eventually, he gets so close to the bees, he can identify individuals just by looking at them.

Climate Change and Biodiversity: A Critical Nexus for Conservation
2022-04-07 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Addressing climate change and protecting biodiversity go hand-in-hand. In this webinar Angela Laws, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist and Climate Change Lead for Xerces will talk about the many linkages between climate change and biodiversity. We will learn about some of the many ways that pollinators may be affected by climate change. We’ll discuss Xerces’ approach to protecting biodiversity while addressing climate change using nature-based climate solutions, as well as actions that everyone can take to help.
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.

Supporting Biodiversity through Pollinator Plantings and Avoiding Pesticide Exposure
2022-04-19 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Aaron Anderson and Sharon Selvaggio to learn about the unique and specialized relationships between pollinators, plants, and other species and how your planting choices can support biodiversity and conservation needs. We’ll also cover the principles of ecologically-based pest management to reduce pesticide impacts to pollinators in the urban landscape.
ReScape is sponsoring this talk as part of their Earth Day 2022 Partnership Program. ReScape provides a regenerative, whole systems foundation to landscaping education, workforce development and policy, addressing climate change earthscape and land use issues. Click here to register through ReScape.

What Bee is That? An Introduction to Commonly Encountered Bees of the US
2022-05-12 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
By May, spring will have arrived across the US and with it, many bees will be emerging and seeking out places to forage and nest — and you might be surprised at how many different species can be found in gardens, parks, and other green spaces across our neighborhoods and hometowns. Matthew Shepherd, Director of Outreach & Education, will introduce you to commonly encountered bees, with notes on their diversity and behaviors, how to identify them, and their habitat needs.
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.

Imperiled Butterflies in the Intermountain West: Biology and conservation strategies for the Four Corners States
2022-05-18 10:00 - 23:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Recent research on western butterflies has highlighted the influences of climate change, pesticides, and other stressors in the decline of many butterfly species across our western landscapes. These declines are not limited to species with small ranges, but also include widespread species like the west coast lady (Vanessa annabella), ruddy copper (Tharsalea rubidus), and others. Join Kevin Burls, Xerces Endangered Species Conservation Advocate, as he highlights some of the butterfly species most at risk of decline in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, based on a recent west-wide assessment by Xerces staff and collaborating scientists, and will discuss the best ways to conserve existing populations of these imperiled pollinators.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
Click here to register for free.

Kevin Burls
Endangered Species Conservation Advocate
As Conservation Advocate for the Endangered Species program, Kevin’s efforts with the Xerces Society focus on protecting the hundreds of butterfly species that inhabit deserts, forests, and grasslands across the western United States. Before working with the Xerces Society, Kevin was the Integrated Pest Management Educator for the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, with a focus on native pollinators and beneficial insects. In addition, Kevin and his wife co-founded the invertebrate science education nonprofit Nevada Bugs & Butterflies in Reno, Nevada in 2012. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Reducing Reliance on Pesticides in New Mexico (In-Person & Live-Streamed)
2022-06-02 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | Online
Los Alamos Education Center
Los Alamos, New Mexico

The city of Los Alamos in New Mexico is developing an integrated pest management plan. What does this mean? Why is this important? Join Emily Ruth Spindler, Xerces Southwest Pesticide Program Specialist, to learn the basics about pesticides, unpack the implications of pesticide use on pollinators and the environment, and discover alternative pest management strategies for southwestern cities like Los Alamos. This webinar will be recorded and available on Xerces’ YouTube channel after the event.
Click here to learn more and register for free.

Promoting Pollinators in Your Yard
2022-06-23 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver)
Free webinar: Have you been hearing a lot about pollinators lately? From monarchs to honey bees, these guys have been getting a lot of attention in the news. Come find out what all the “buzz” is about. In this class you will learn about the importance of pollinators, theories on why they’re in decline, and how you can promote pollinators in your yard.

Bee Day in the Garden
2022-06-23 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | Garden, United States
Keep Tyler Beautiful will be celebrating the 2nd Annual Bee Day in the Garden on Thursday, June 23 from 4 – 6 p.m. CST at the Tyler Rose Garden, located at 420 Rose Park Drive. This event is a culmination of a week’s long celebration of National Pollinator Week and celebrates our favorite pollinator, the honey bee.
We invite the community to come and learn about bees and other pollinators and their importance. The celebration includes activities for children, honey vendors, face painters, and local food trucks. Educational workshops will be offered for residents interested in becoming beekeepers or planting a pollinator garden. The workshops will be led by the East Texas Beekeepers Association and the Smith County Master Gardeners.
The City of Tyler is one of nine cities in Texas to be designated a Bee City USA, under the Keep Tyler Beautiful program. Our mission as an affiliate is to educate and raise awareness in the community on the importance of all pollinator species, including honey bees.
All Bee Day in the Garden activities and educational workshops are free of cost. Vendors and food trucks will be fee.
For more information on the Bee City USA and Keep Tyler Beautiful program please contact Erin Garner, Community Coordinator at KTyB@tylertexas.com or (903) 531-1335 or visit https://bit.ly/BeeDayintheGarden

Pollinator Hillside Planting Party
2022-06-24 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Garden, United States
Join us to plant some powerhouse pollinator plants at the pollinator hillside at Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands in SE Seattle in honor of Pollinator Week. Explore the farm! Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy on site after the work party.

Bring Back the Pollinators: Growing Pollinator-Friendly Flowers and More
2022-06-30 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Jennifer Hopwood, Xerces Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist, as she walks through how to turn your yard into a pollinator haven. Learn about Xerces resources such as plant lists, habitat assessment guides, and landscaping tools. Bring your questions and curiosity.
This is the first webinar in our four-part Bring Back the Pollinators series.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Jennifer Hopwood
Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist -The Xerces Society
Jennifer provides resources and training for pollinator and beneficial insect habitat management and restoration in a variety of landscapes. She oversees a team of four USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service partner biologists and works closely with the NRCS. Jennifer has authored a number of publications and articles, and is co-author of several books, including Farming with Native Beneficial Insects, 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, and a roadside revegetation manual. Jennifer has a master’s degree in entomology from the University of Kansas. Along with work as a research specialist conducting invertebrate field research and identification, Jennifer was an instructor in biology and environmental science at Iowa State University and Des Moines Area Community College prior to joining Xerces in 2009.

Bring Back the Pollinators: Managing Pests While Protecting Pollinators
2022-07-21 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
How can we manage pests while protecting pollinators in home yards? Good garden pollinator habitat requires flowering plants and undisturbed places for pollinators to nest, but home landscapes also need to be protected from pesticides. Join Aaron Anderson, Xerces Pesticide Program Specialist, to touch on a few key pesticide concerns, and talk about alternative methods to reduce pest pressure. In particular, we will learn about some of the common beneficial insects that pollinator plantings can support and how they contribute to pest control.
This is the second webinar in the four-part series 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 for free.

Aaron Anderson
Pesticide Program Specialist – The Xerces Society
Aaron Anderson works with the public and Xerces staff to reduce pesticide use in residential landscapes, including promoting alternative pest control measures and pollinator-friendly gardening practices. Prior to joining Xerces in 2022, he researched pollinator conservation in urban landscapes, restored habitat for several endangered butterfly species, and worked in insect biocontrol. In 2021 he was an AAAS Mass Media Fellow at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where he reported science and business stories. Aaron has a PhD from Oregon State University, and outside of work you can probably find him riding his bike, science writing, or fiddling with old cameras.

Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA Open House: Pesticide Reduction Strategies
2022-07-27 10:00 - 23:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Reducing pesticide impacts and use is a key component of being a Bee City or Campus, but how this is achieved varies from one region to another as well as the specific location (is it a garden or a park, a formal planting or a natural area?). Join Sharon Selvaggio and Aaron Anderson of the Xerces Society’s Pesticide Team for an “ask me anything”-style open house! We’ll do a short presentation on practical ways to reduce pesticide usage, followed by an extended Q&A session on anything Bee City/Campus or pesticide-related. This session is great for new or longtime participants.
Bring your questions and please feel free to share your favorite pesticide reduction strategies with the group! This webinar will be recorded and available upon request: laura.rost@xerces.org.

Speakers:
Sharon Selvaggio
Pesticide Program Specialist, Parks, Nurseries & Natural Areas Lead – The Xerces Society
Aaron Anderson
Pesticide Program Specialist – The Xerces Society
Laura Rost
​Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA Coordinator – The Xerces Society

Bring Back the Pollinators: Get the word out!
2022-08-25 10:00 - 11:00 UTC | Online
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.

Bring Back the Pollinators: Providing Nesting Habitat for Bees
2022-09-29 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM MT / 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

The availability of nesting habitat is a critical yet often overlooked factor impacting native bee populations. In this webinar, Xerces Biologists, Leif Richardson and Sarah Foltz Jordan, will summarize nesting biology of major groups of bees, including leaf-cutter bees, mining bees, bumble bees, and many more. They will also offer numerous practical approaches to creating and managing nesting habitat features. Approaches are relevant to landscapers, farmers, gardeners, natural resource professionals, and anyone interested in taking the next step in supporting pollinators. Community science opportunities will also be discussed.
This is the fourth webinar in the four-part series 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 for free.

Sarah Foltz Jordan
Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist Habitat Restoration Specialist, Great Lakes Region – The Xerces Society
Based out of central Minnesota, Sarah leads Xerces’ upper Midwest native bee and monarch habitat restoration projects, working closely with farmers, agencies, and conservation groups to promote pollinators on farms and in natural areas. Sarah provides habitat restoration support to hundreds of farmers and farm agency professionals across the upper Midwest, with an emphasis on the testing of new, cutting-edge restoration methods on a wide range of fruit, vegetable, and grain farms. Currently she is a member of the Minnesota Governor’s Pollinator Protection Committee, and a consultant on habitat management for at-risk pollinators on public lands in Minnesota. She has authored comprehensive documents about the biology and conservation needs of nearly 200 rare invertebrates, along with numerous pollinator-related fact sheets, guidebooks, and educational tools. Sarah is also an organic apple farmer and is active in the sustainable agriculture community. She holds a master’s degree.

Leif Richardson
Conservation Biologist California Bumble Bee Atlas – The Xerces Society
Leif is a conservation biologist who coordinates the California Bumble Bee Atlas project. His research focuses on the ecology, distribution, and declines of North American bumble bees. Leif previously worked as an environmental consultant, studying pesticide risk to bee pollinators, and as an ecologist for Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. He is co-author of a range of scientific publications on bees, including Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide (2014, Princeton University Press), the standard reference manual on this group of insects. He is an expert in the inventory and identification of bumble bees, and has extensive experience training others to collect bumble bee distribution data in the field. Leif holds a Master’s degree from the University of Arizona and a PhD from Dartmouth College.

A Win-Win for Insects: Nature-Based Climate Solutions Address both Climate Change and Biodiversity Concerns
2022-10-06 10:00 - 23:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Xerces Society Executive Director, Scott Black, as we kick off our next webinar series: Threats and Solutions. With well over one million known species, insects and other invertebrates eclipse all other forms of life on Earth. They are essential to the reproduction of most flowering plants, including many fruits, vegetables, and nuts; they are food for birds, fish, and other animals; they filter water and help clean rivers and streams; and they clean up waste from plants and animals. Just four of the many insect services—dung burial, pest control, pollination, and wildlife nutrition—have an estimated annual value in the United States alone of at least $70 billion.
Though they are indisputably important, insects and other invertebrates are experiencing a multicontinental crisis evident as reductions in abundance, diversity and biomass. Given the centrality of insects to terrestrial and freshwater aquatic ecosystems and the food chain that supports humans, the potential importance of this crisis cannot be overstated.
The loss of insect diversity is driven by habitat loss and degradation, pesticide use, climate change, diseases and more. The science is clear: It is impossible to address the loss of biodiversity without addressing climate change, but equally impossible to tackle the full impacts of climate change without working to protect and enhance biodiversity. Scott will discuss how nature-based solutions can address both.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Scott Black
Executive Director – The Xerces Society
Scott Black is an internationally renowned conservationist who has been at the forefront of the conservation movement for three decades. Scott’s work has led to protection and restoration of habitat on millions of acres of rangelands, forests, and farmland as well as protection for many endangered species.

Are Plants Sold as Pollinator-friendly also Pollinator-safe? The Case of Milkweed and How to Help
2022-10-12 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
A recently published study reported that milkweeds purchased from retail nurseries across 15 states contained an average of 12 pesticides per plant. Join the lead researchers from the University of Nevada-Reno and Xerces Society to learn more about the findings and to learn what consumers and retailers can do to help turn the tide toward greater availability of pollinator-safe plants from U.S. nurseries. A thirty minute presentation will be followed by 30 minutes for Q and A.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Chris Halsch
PhD candidate – University of Nevada Reno
Chris is a PhD candidate at the University of Nevada Reno where he studies the impacts of global change on butterfly populations, especially climate change and pesticides. This can take the form of running through the mountains with a net or slumped over a laptop in a coffee shop. When not in the mountains for work he goes to the mountains for pleasure!

Sharon Selvaggio
Pesticide Program Specialist Parks, Nurseries & Natural Areas Lead – The Xerces Society
Sharon assists Xerces staff, partners, and the public to reduce reliance on pesticides and understand pesticide risk to invertebrates. Sharon previously worked at Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service, and integrates her focus on pesticides with her experience managing natural areas and agricultural lands. Sharon earned a master’s of science in energy and resources and a bachelor of arts in biology, both from the University of California, Berkeley. Sharon spends a lot of time in her vegetable garden, which has an always-buzzing insectary/pollinator patch, and she is a frequent visitor to the Pacific northwest’s wildlands for recreation.

In-Person Workshop: Implementing a community-wide pollinator protection program
2022-10-12 13:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | University of Georgia, 1197 S Lumpkin St, Athens, GA, 30602, United States
Optional workshop: “Implementing a community-wide pollinator protection program” at the Protecting Pollinators in Urban Landscapes 2022 conference (October 10-12) held at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA.
Workshop led by Laura Rost, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; Peter Helfrich, Decatur, GA Bee City; and Tyra Byers, University of Georgia Bee Campus.

Simplifying Your Bee City and Bee Campus Outreach: A Template Presentation on "How to Reduce Pesticides at Home"
2022-10-27 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Education and outreach to the broader community is a key component of Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA. In this webinar, staff from the Xerces Society’s pesticide reduction team will demonstrate a free, template presentation “How to Reduce Pesticides at Home,” that affiliate cities and campuses can download and present at local events. The pesticide reduction staff will answer questions and offer tips on how to conduct more effective pesticide reduction outreach.
This free event will be recorded and available to affiliates.

External webinar: Pollinators, Pesticides & People: Landscaping Certifications Explained
2022-11-09 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Hosted by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Presentation by Laura Rost, coordinator of Bee Campus USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society, and Sheina Crystal, Director of Communications and Campaigns at Rewild Your Campus (formerly Herbicide Free Campus).
Interested in sustainability certifications for your campus landscape? We’re here to help! Join Bee Campus USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society, and Rewild Your Campus to learn more about the two organizations’ certification programs. We have tools, resources and advice on how to reduce pesticide use and increase pollinator habitat to improve the health and safety of your campus for bees, beneficial insects and people.
These certifications cover pesticide reduction, soil health, native plants, classroom education, coalition building and how to build a healthier campus! Hear the benefits and requirements of these different programs and see examples of real-world sustainability successes from a variety of participating colleges and universities.

We Need to Talk About Honeybees
2022-11-10 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
To help ensure healthy ecosystems and successful harvests, pollinator conservation is essential. For many people, pollinator conservation is synonymous with the honey bee and beekeeping, but the story is bigger than that; much, much bigger than that. As we work to conserve pollinators, we need to ensure that our efforts are best directed where they are needed most, and not just at what is easiest to accomplish. While honey bees are important for our current agricultural systems, their role in our natural areas, and even in our urban and suburban areas, is more complicated. Join Xerces Society Senior Conservation Biologist Rich Hatfield for an honest conversation about the unseen consequences that a focus on honey bees can have, and how we can focus our actions in ways that will create positive change, for all pollinators.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Rich Hatfield
Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist Bumble Bee Conservation Lead – The Xerces Society
Rich manages all aspects of the Xerces Society’s work on bumble bees. In addition to his skills as a research biologist, Rich also has extensive classroom teaching experience with a focus on conservation biology, ecology, and sustainability.

Practitioners Talk About IPM: Turning Lemons into Lemonade - the Story of Wilsonville, OR
2022-11-15 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
A private parking lot in Wilsonville, Oregon became the unexpected site of the country’s largest bumble bee kill, when an estimated 50,000-100,000 bumble bees died during Pollinator Week in 2013, after neonicotinoid insecticide was applied to linden trees located in the lot. Since then, the City of Wilsonville has rallied to support bee conservation through joining Bee City USA and establishing its Bee Stewards Wilsonville program. Join Kerry Rappold, Natural Resources Program Manager for the City of Wilsonville, who will discuss the city’s work since the bee kill, including pollinator habitat establishment, integrated pest management in parks and public spaces, residential education, and involvement in state policy work.
This event will include auto-generated closed captioning and will be recorded and available to Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA affiliates.

Kerry Rappold
Natural Resources Manager – City of Wilsonville
During his 21 years with the City of Wilsonville, Kerry Rappold has had responsibility for program development; compliance with local, state and federal requirements; capital project planning and implementation; stormwater management and permitting; managing enhancement and restoration projects; pollinator conservation; and environmental education. Kerry’s previous work experience has included silviculture and urban forestry, watershed management and monitoring, and regulatory review and permitting.

Pollinators in the woods? The place of wild bees in a changing forested landscape
2023-01-26 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Come join Kass Urban-Mead, Xerces Pollinator Conservation Specialist, NRCS Partner Biologist, for an adventure exploring how wild bees use the woods–from the leafy forest floor to the tippy top of the canopy. Although we usually think of bees busy in our gardens, flower patches, and meadows (which is true!), that is not the only place they are found. In fact, in the northeastern US up to 1/3 of our wild bee species may rely on forest habitats for at least a part of their life cycle. Some are specialized to only collect pollen from spring ephemerals on the forest floor, while others nest in stumps, logs, and leaf litter deep in the woods, and orchard pollinators use forest canopy pollen before the orchards bloom. We will discuss the changing nature of forests on our landscape and how this is likely to affect different groups of bees. Finally, we will highlight ways in which forest management for healthy, diverse, climate-resilient woods is crucial not just for birds and other wildlife, but also for the bees.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Kass Urban-Mead
Pollinator Conservation Specialist, NRCS Partner Biologist – The Xerces Society
Kass Urban-Mead provides technical assistance on pollinator conservation in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region. As part of this work, she assists with planning, designing, installing, and managing habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. Kass also works with staff and research partners to develop technical guidelines and provide training on pollinator conservation practices.

Pollinator and Beneficial Insect Habitat: Small Urban Farms and Community Spaces
2023-02-09 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Urban landscapes are diverse and can provide unique habitat opportunities for pollinators and other beneficial invertebrates. However, habitat loss in urban areas is a driving factor of insect decline. Small urban farms and community gardens are great locations to add in native habitat pockets, strips, hedgerows, gardens, and more. At the same time, these habitats can be designed to offer many added benefits for wildlife, crop production, water quality, stormwater management, education, and the community! Growing food in urban spaces is not a new practice, but its presence is increasing in many cities as more people are taking an active role in where their food comes from and the betterment of their communities and environment. Join Xerces Society staff Mace Vaughan, Pollinator Conservation Program Co-Director, and Stefanie Steele, Pollinator Conservation Specialist, as they dive deeper into the issue of pollinator habitat loss in urban landscapes and how we can tackle this while also addressing other conservation and climate change challenges. They will also provide resources and techniques you can use on your small urban farm or community garden to increase native biodiversity and attract pollinating insects, beneficial predatory insects, and more!
This webinar is hosted by Xerces Society and will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Stefanie Steele
Pollinator Conservation Specialist for Urban and Small Farms in Underserved Communities and NRCS Partner Biologist – The Xerces Society
Stefanie is the Pollinator Conservation Specialist for Urban and Small Farms in Underserved Communities and a NRCS Partner Biologist in the Upper Midwest – Detroit, Michigan area. Through this work, she provides technical assistance, planning, and education on incorporating pollinator and other beneficial invertebrate habitat in small urban agricultural areas and community gardens in historically excluded communities. Her work supports projects including the Xerces Habitat Kit Program, People’s Garden Initiative, and NRCS Conservation Programs through the USDA Farm Bill.

Mace Vaughan
Pollinator and Agricultural Biodiversity Co-Director – The Xerces Society
Mace Vaughan serves as the Xerces Society’s Pollinator and Ag Biodiversity Conservation Program Co-Director, and as a Conservation Entomologist and Partner Biologist to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) West National Technology Support Center in Portland, Oregon. Mace has led Xerces’ Pollinator Conservation Program since 2003 and has acted as a Partner Biologist to the NRCS since 2008. In his tenure at the Xerces Society, the pollinator program has grown from a small pilot project on California farms to a national program implementing pollinator conservation projects across the U.S. Mace co-leads a team of 25 pollinator conservation specialists and several consultants across the U.S., and now helps to supervise the world’s largest pollinator conservation team.

Ecologically-Sound Mosquito Management at Home
2023-03-02 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Mosquitos are a nuisance at best and health risk at worst, so it’s understandable why many people turn to insecticides to try and control these pests. Though spraying may seem like a quick and easy way to deal with mosquitos, it’s often an ineffective control strategy. Worse, these insecticides are toxic to pollinators and other beneficial insects. Join Aaron Anderson, Xerces Pesticide Program Specialist, to touch on the risks that mosquito spraying poses and discuss practical, alternative methods of mosquito control in residential landscapes.
This free Xerces Society webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Aaron Anderson
Pesticide Program Specialist – The Xerces Society
Aaron Anderson works with the public and Xerces staff to reduce pesticide use in residential landscapes, including promoting alternative pest control measures and pollinator-friendly gardening practices. Prior to joining Xerces in 2022, he researched pollinator conservation in urban landscapes, restored habitat for several endangered butterfly species, and worked in insect biocontrol. In 2021 he was an AAAS Mass Media Fellow at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where he reported science and business stories. Aaron has a PhD from Oregon State University, and outside of work you can probably find him riding his bike, science writing, or fiddling with old cameras.

"Tracks and Scat: Who Pooped In The Park"
2023-03-11 00:00 - 14:30 UTC
The Park Naturalist will give a fun and informative talk about how to identify he wild critters who left their mark in the park. Children who attend will receive a nature related do-at-home project kit.
