Bee City USA

Pollinator Week
2023-06-19 - 2023-06-25
Stay tuned for an updated Bee City/Campus Promo Kit in our June eNewsletter!

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: SW Region
2023-06-27 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Phoenix) | Online
Join Kaitlin Haase, the Xerces Society’s Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist, for a short presentation on Southwest pollinator conservation activities, followed by an extended Q&A and group discussion with Kaitlin and Bee City and Bee Campus USA National Coordinator Laura Rost. This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.
We’re loosely defining the borders for our regional meetings, so feel free to join us if you are a Bee City or Bee Campus affiliate in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, southern California, Texas, or Oklahoma. More regional meetings to come this summer!
This free Bee City USA webinar is hosted by Xerces Society and will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel on the Bee City USA playlist. Auto-generated Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Kaitlin Haase
Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist
The Xerces Society

As the Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Kaitlin works to create climate-resilient, connected pollinator habitat in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. She collaborates with and educates public and private urban land managers in New Mexico and the desert Southwest on pollinator-friendly practices for landscaping, gardening, and open space restoration. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Northern Arizona University, where she studied impacts of drying on aquatic invertebrate diversity in natural and human-made ponds. Before graduate school, she worked as an ecological science technician in a variety of systems across the US, including predator-prey ecology in Michigan, riparian restoration in Virginia, and rare species monitoring in Massachusetts.

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: Great Lakes Region
2023-07-18 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Join Xerces Society’s Stefanie Steele, Pollinator Conservation Specialist for Urban and Small Farms in Underserved Communities and NRCS Partner Biologist, and Micah Kloppenburg, Wisconsin Pollinator Conservation Specialist for a short presentation on Great Lakes pollinator conservation activities, followed by an extended Q&A and group discussion with Stefanie, Micah, and Bee City and Bee Campus USA National Coordinator Laura Rost. This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.
Feel free to join us if you are a Bee City or Bee Campus affiliate in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin. More regional meetings to come!
This free Bee City USA webinar is hosted by Xerces Society and will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel on the Bee City USA playlist. Auto-generated 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.
Stefanie received a master’s degree in biology from Portland State University where she studied the nesting habits of cavity nesting bees and wasps in the Portland, OR area and completed a multi-year study surveying the solitary bees in Portland’s urban core and their floral use. Since graduating, she has worked on numerous research projects studying diverse bee communities, and she has a deep knowledge of the taxonomy and ecology of native bees. While in Portland, OR, Stefanie worked with several urban gardens, orchards, farms, and restoration areas to help incorporate pollinator habitat in these spaces. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Stefanie has a strong knowledge of the Upper Midwest local plant communities and is excited to be back working with urban communities in the Midwest.
Micah Kloppenburg
Wisconsin Pollinator Conservation Specialist
The Xerces Society

As the Wisconsin Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Micah provides technical assistance to agricultural producers, land stewards, and community groups interested in creating and protecting pollinator habitat. Previously, Micah worked as an ecologist for a WI non-profit where he supported land owners in achieving their habitat protection and restoration goals; and, for a county parks department where he developed and led creative conservation activities and programming for youth and community groups. Micah holds a Master’s degree in restoration ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied plant community change in remnant hillside prairies in the Driftless region. He enjoys canoeing, dabbling in jewelry metal art, and growing as many onions and garlic as he and his family can fit in their small garden.

National Moth Week
2023-07-22 - 2023-07-30
Moths are important pollinators, too! Visit nationalmothweek.org to find events and activities near you.

Removing Barriers to Successful Restoration; The Xerces Society's Habitat Kit program
2023-07-27 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces YouTube Channel

One of the best ways to help declining pollinators and other wildlife is to restore safe habitat for them. Although the concept of restoring habitat may not be complicated, there are plenty of barriers to successful, high-quality pollinator habitat restoration. One of the ways Xerces has tried to reduce these barriers is through our Habitat Kit program, which provides both plant materials and technical assistance to folks with the interest, experience, and land to make it happen. Through this program, we offer carefully selected, native and regionally appropriate plant material directly to our partners for shovel-ready projects. Please join us for this informative webinar to learn more about the program and how you can get involved.
This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces Youtube Channel. Closed Captioning will be available during the webinar.

Jessa Kay Cruz – Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist, California and the Intermountain West – The Xerces Society
Jessa is the Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist for The Xerces Society in California, and a partner biologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. She manages and coordinates many aspects of the pollinator program in California and throughout the western United States. Since joining Xerces in 2008, she has worked in agricultural and natural lands throughout the western U.S. to create habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects, and to promote practices that support them. She provides education and technical support to a range of individuals and agencies, including farmers and ranchers, agricultural professionals, and land managers. Jessa holds a master’s of science in environmental entomology and integrated pest management from California State University, Chico, and a bachelor’s degree in sustainable farming from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Kaitlin Haase – Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist – The Xerces Society
As the Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Kaitlin works to create climate-resilient, connected pollinator habitat in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. She collaborates with and educates public and private urban land managers in New Mexico and the desert Southwest on pollinator-friendly practices for landscaping, gardening, and open space restoration. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Northern Arizona University, where she studied impacts of drying on aquatic invertebrate diversity in natural and human-made ponds. Before graduate school, she worked as an ecological science technician in a variety of systems across the US, including predator-prey ecology in Michigan, riparian restoration in Virginia, and rare species monitoring in Massachusetts.
July 27
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT
Webinar

International Monarch Monitoring Blitz
2023-07-28 - 2023-08-06 | North America
Save the date for this year’s Monarch Monitoring Blitz from 28 July to 6 August 2023!
The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz invites community scientists from across North America to come together with the shared goal of helping to protect and conserve the beloved and emblematic monarch butterfly. Data collected by volunteers each year support trinational efforts to better understand the monarch butterfly’s breeding productivity, range, and timing in North America.
Consider promoting the effort within your networks. This is an opportunity to encourage, host or assist with monarch-related outreach events that involve submitting photo observations of monarchs (all life stages) and milkweed. There are promotional materials available in three languages – English, Spanish and French.
Promotional graphics and text (English, Spanish and French language versions)
For additional information view the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) newsletter:

English
Spanish
French

Knowledge is Pollinator Power: A webinar of experts to prep for the Great Southeastern Pollinator Census in NC
2023-08-10 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Feel free to share within your networks! This is free and open to the public!
Sign up here

Join the Great Southeastern Pollinator Census team to learn about the Census, how to participate in the Census, how to bring the Census to your community or organizations, and ask questions with the experts. If you want to help scientists understand what kind of insects are in your backyard, this is the project for you!

When: Thursday, August 10, 2023
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Where: Zoom (link to be sent out day before!)
Who: ANYONE in North Carolina! Citizens, Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, schools, teachers, students, parents, homeschool groups, businesses, non-profits, government organizations, etc.
Speakers include: Dr. Danesha Seth-Carley, Dr. Hannah Levenson, and Dr. Matt Bertone
Topics include: Pollinator plants, current pollinator research projects and insect identification
Contact: Amanda Wilkins, amwilkin@ncsu.edu
Date of the Census for 2023: Friday, August 18 and Saturday, August 19
Learn more about the Census

The Paradox of Fire: A Threat to Pollinators yet a Key Process They Need
2023-08-17 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces Youtube Channel

Since first using a drip torch to start a prescribed burn back in 1991, Dr. Ray Moranz has been fascinated with prescribed fire and its effects on plants and wildlife. Ray will summarize some of the most important evidence of the negative effects of fire on pollinators, but follow that with examples of the benefits of fire. He will present examples from throughout the lower 48 U.S. states, with a slight bias toward his region, the Central Grasslands. He will recommend best management practices for fire and suggest sources of technical and financial assistance for prescribed burning.
Click here to learn more and register today! This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces Youtube Channel. Closed Captions will be available during the webinar.

Ray Moranz – Grazing Lands Pollinator Ecologist, Partner Biologist for the NRCS Central National Technology Support Center – The Xerces Society
Ray works to conserve pollinators on rangelands in the central U.S., and he also serves as a Partner Biologist to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Central National Technology Support Center in Fort Worth, TX. He is based at the NRCS Field Office in Stillwater, Oklahoma. One focus of his work is to assist in the planning and implementation of monarch butterfly conservation efforts in the south central U.S.. Ray began studying the effects of fire and grazing on prairie plant and butterfly communities in 2004, and earned his Ph.D. in natural resource ecology and management from Oklahoma State University in 2010. Prior to joining the Xerces Society, he worked for The Nature Conservancy in Florida, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in California, Iowa State University, and Oklahoma State University.

Great Southeast Pollinator Census
2023-08-18 - 2023-08-19
The Great Southeast Pollinator Census is back for another year, and now open to residents of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Pickin, Pedalin & Pollinatin
2023-08-18 - 2023-08-20 | Snowshoe Mountain Resort, WV, Snowshoe Mountain, WV, United States
We’re mixing some of our favorite things together for an unforgettable weekend on the mountain – bluegrass music, brews, and bike races. Enjoy live music from Hackensaw Boys, Independent State, and Bourbon Revival; local craft beers; and a bike race on the blue trails of Western Territory. We’re also throwing in a hint of pollinating to highlight our Bee City designation at Snowshoe. Beekeepers and honey vendors from near and far will be on the mountain to explain their professions and how important it is to keep our pollinators, well pollinating!

Pinellas County Bee City USA Bio Blitz
2023-09-02 08:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Eagle Lake Park, 1800 Keene Road, Largo, 33771, United States
Pinellas County has recently been recognized as a Bee City (County) by the non-profit Xerces Society for the Conservation of Invertebrates.
Part of our commitment to foster a community that supports insect conservation is to engage citizens in the collection of data on the health of our insect populations.
You are invited to join others in the community for a fun, citizen-science effort to record as many species of plants and insects at Eagle Lake Park on September 2, 2023 from 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
This “Bio-Blitz” will give us an idea of the density and diversity of pollinators and the plants they depend on in one park in our county.
Educators from the Brooker Creek and Weedon Island Environmental Education Centers will be on hand to get you started at the BioBlitz.
You can sign-up here to keep updated by email of any useful information before the event. Otherwise, all are welcome to join us to start the Blitz at Shelter 3, Eagle Lake Park, 1800 Keene Road, Largo, FL 33771.
For the rest of September, you can do your own bio-blitz in any Pinellas County Park by following some simple rules.

Native Bee Walk at Weedon Island Preserve, FL
2023-09-16 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
Weedon Island Preserve is a home for many species of Pinellas County’s native bees. The native bees on Weedon Island are found in a variety of sizes from tiny ones that are the size of a grain of rice all the way to huge bumble bees and carpenter bees. Join a staff naturalist for a walk around the grounds to look for these fascinating insects that contribute to our ecosystem in many important ways.
This walk is recommended for adults and youth ages 8 and up. All youth must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the program.
Spots are limited for this program so registration is required.

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Region
2023-09-20 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Join Kelly Gill, Xerces Society’s Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Region for a short presentation on Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region pollinator conservation activities, followed by an extended Q&A and group discussion with Kelly and Bee City and Bee Campus USA National Coordinator Laura Rost. This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.
Feel free to join us if you are a Bee City or Bee Campus affiliate in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware, Maryland, or the District of Columbia. More regional meetings to come!
This free Bee City USA webinar is hosted by Xerces Society and will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel on the Bee City USA playlist. Auto-generated Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
Kelly Gill
Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Region
As a Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Specialist and a Partner Biologist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kelly provides technical assistance on pollinator conservation in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region. This work includes planning, designing, installing, and managing habitat for pollinators. Kelly also works with staff and research partners to develop technical guidelines and provide training on pollinator conservation practices. Kelly completed her master’s Degree in entomology at Iowa State University where she conducted research on the development of best practices for conserving native bees and beneficial insects in agricultural landscapes.

Header Photo Credit: Dickinson College Bee Campus USA Committee

Fall Gardening for Pollinators: Creating a Resilient Garden for All Seasons
2023-09-21 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces Youtube Channel.

Join Emily May, Pollinator Conservation Specialist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, to talk about supporting pollinators and other wildlife in our yards and gardens through the changing seasons. Where do beneficial insects spend the winter? What does gardening for wildlife look like in the fall and winter? We’ll talk about building resilience into our yards and gardens and rethinking our fall/winter garden aesthetic to better understand and support the lives around us.
This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces Youtube Channel. Closed captions will be available during the webinar.

Emily May – Pollinator Conservation Specialist Agricultural Lead – The Xerces Society
Emily May is a Pollinator Conservation Specialist with the Xerces Society’s Pesticide Program. She received a master’s of science in entomology from Michigan State University, and has studied pollinator habitat restoration, bee nesting habits, and the effects of pest management practices on wild bee communities. Her work with Xerces since 2015 has focused on supporting crop pollinators through habitat creation and protecting bees and other beneficial insects from pesticides.

Pinellas County Fall Wildflower & Pollinator Festival
2023-10-07 09:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
The Fall Wildflower and Pollinator Festival returns this year with a day of fun for the whole family! On Saturday October 7 from 9:00 to 4:00 you can celebrate Florida Wildflowers and the Pollinators that support us all. A native plant sale will feature vendors from our area with plants that are beautiful, pollinator-friendly and best suited for our climate. Kid’s crafts will focus on make-and-take projects to support pollinators in our own yards and neighborhoods. There will be a Pollinator Encounter tent to experience these helpful, harmless insects close-up, thanks to our friends at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. Various organizations will be available to answer questions about growing wildflowers, attracting pollinators, and being a good friend to Nature in Pinellas County! Refreshments, music and more await you at this free event. Pinellas County Wildflower and Pollinator Festival. Saturday, October 7, 2023. 9:00 – 4:00. Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL 34688.

In the Life of Bees: Nesting in Darkness
2023-10-19 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces Youtube Channel

When you think of bees, you probably imagine the things they do on sunny days, like flying around and pollinating flowers. But this is only half of the story, as most of the 20,000 species of bees found around the world nest belowground, and spend the majority of their lives in darkness. What are they doing underground? How do they navigate their burrows and communicate with other bees? What happens when it rains? There are many interesting questions surrounding this lifestyle, and also plenty of uncertainties remaining to be resolved about subterranean living. In this webinar, we will learn about the diversity of ways that bees live and reproduce belowground, and we’ll ponder some of those unsolved mysteries. We’ll also talk about how the belowground lifestyle affects threats to bees, such as exposure to pesticides and pathogens. This webinar will cover some bees you may be familiar with, such as bumble bees, but we’ll be focusing our time on soil-nesters who we generally know less about, including the many solitary bees that do not live in colonies.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Leif Richardson – Conservation Biologist & California Bumble Bee Atlas – 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.

28th Annual Symbolic Monarch Migration to Mexico with Bee City USA - Hendersonville
2023-10-20 | Hendersonville, NC, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville, NC, 28792, United States
From the Hendersonville area, the monarch migration is an epic journey to Mexico covering at least 2,000 miles. Like clockwork, the first migrating monarchs typically reach their over-wintering habitats high in the mountains of central Mexico by the first of November. To celebrate this amazing feat, more than 10,000 children from across the United States and Canada will participate in the 28th annual Symbolic Monarch Migration by creating paper butterflies to send to Mexico for the winter. Local classrooms, youth organizations, and individual students are invited to join them.
These symbolic butterflies will correspond with the living monarchs’ actual journey south … and as the real-life monarchs arrive in Mexico for the winter, the symbolic butterflies will be delivered to schools in the area of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Sometime in spring after the living monarchs’ departure from Mexico, groups of paper butterflies will also return north carrying special messages from the students in Mexico. United by the monarch butterfly, children across North America learn authentic lessons of conservation, cooperation, and ambassadorship.
As funding allows, any group (up to 30 participants) of youth located within the City of Hendersonville and/or Henderson County may take part in the program at no cost. Individual students who are not part of a registered classroom or group may also participate at no charge by creating a paper butterfly and mailing or delivering it to Bullington Gardens by Friday, October 20, 2023 (95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville 28792).

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: Southeast Region
2023-10-25 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Join Laurie Hamon, Xerces Society’s Endangered Species Conservation Biologist for a short presentation on the Southeastern Bee Atlas, followed by an extended Q&A and group discussion with Laurie and Bee City and Bee Campus USA National Coordinator Laura Rost. This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.
Feel free to join us if you are a Bee City or Bee Campus affiliate in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
More regional meetings to come!
This free Bee City USA webinar is hosted by Xerces Society and will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel on the Bee City USA playlist. Auto-generated Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Laurie Hamon
Endangered Species Conservation Biologist
The Xerces Society
Laurie is the project manager for the Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas, a community science project to track and conserve bumble bees in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. She earned her PhD at North Carolina State University, where she conducted her thesis on the pollination ecology of Venus flytraps. She has conducted survey work for multiple rare insect species and investigated insect communities in urban pollinator gardens. Laurie has previous experience coordinating a community science project to monitor butterflies at a biological reserve in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. When the work day ends, Laurie enjoys making art and spending time outdoors.
Header Photo Credit: Bee Campus East Carolina University, NC

ERC Speaker Series: Impactful Pollinator Conservation Initiative at University of Illinois Chicago
2023-11-14 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Online
THE ENERGY RESOURCES CENTER PRESENTS
ERC Speaker Series: Impactful Pollinator Conservation Initiative at University of Illinois Chicago
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 – 11:00 AM Central
As the first campus in Illinois to be certified as a Bee Campus USA, the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is dedicated to enhancing and expanding pollinator habitat on campus. UIC’s impact expands far beyond the campus, however. The Energy Resources Center (ERC) at UIC supports pollinators nationwide by facilitating the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group, a cross-sector collaboration to support habitat conservation on working lands. Learn more about the diverse ways that different groups across UIC are working to protect pollinators both now and in the future through this co-hosted webinar by the ERC and the Office of Planning, Sustainability, and Project Management at UIC.
Register here

In the Life of Western Monarchs: A Community Science Approach to Conservation
2023-11-16 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces YouTube Channel

Join Isis Howard, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, to talk about the powerful ways community science is shaping the conservation of western monarch butterflies. From surveying monarchs and their milkweed host plants in the summer to counting butterflies clustering along the west coast in the winter, learn how everyday individuals are collecting important data to protect an iconic species.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Isis Howard – Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Western Monarch Community Science – Xerces Society
As an endangered species conservation biologist, Isis works in California to protect and support the western population of monarch butterflies. She manages several community science projects, including the annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count and the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper, and provides support to land managers and the public on maintaining and restoring western monarch breeding habitat. Prior to joining Xerces, Isis worked for a resource conservation district and the North Coast Soil Hub, advancing climate adaptation work in the agricultural sector, engaging diverse community partners, and expanding the RCDs’ western monarch and pollinator program. Originally from Sonoma County, CA, Isis is an experienced outdoor educator and holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental management and protection with a minor in biology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In her free time, Isis enjoys listening to podcasts, trying new creative outlets, and advocating for diversity and inclusion in the outdoors.

In the Life of Monarchs East of the Rockies: Biology and the Great Migration
2023-12-07 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces Youtube Channel

Dr. Ray Moranz will begin by presenting on the basic aspects of monarch biology, including the life cycle, the use for milkweeds as host plant, the incorporation of cardiac glycosides as a chemical defense, and the vulnerability of this species to various predators, parasites, parasitoids and diseases. However, the heart of the talk will be on monarch migration, and how monarch biology changes in fascinating ways from month to month as they move from one region of North America to another. He will do his best to provide information relevant to people from Saskatchewan to Mexico City, and from Nova Scotia to Cuba, and everywhere in between. He will conclude by talking about some things you can do to help monarchs where you live.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Ray Moranz – Grazing Lands Pollinator Ecologist, Partner Biologist for the NRCS Central National Technology Support Center – Xerces Society
Ray works to conserve pollinators on rangelands in the central U.S., and he also serves as a Partner Biologist to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Central National Technology Support Center in Fort Worth, TX. He is based at the NRCS Field Office in Stillwater, Oklahoma. One focus of his work is to assist in the planning and implementation of monarch butterfly conservation efforts in the south central U.S.. Ray began studying the effects of fire and grazing on prairie plant and butterfly communities in 2004, and earned his Ph.D. in natural resource ecology and management from Oklahoma State University in 2010. Prior to joining the Xerces Society, he worked for The Nature Conservancy in Florida, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in California, Iowa State University, and Oklahoma State University.

Pollinators in the Urban Environment
2023-12-08 06:00 - 08:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join the Xerces Society as we present on Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA to an international audience!
Promote Pollinators is looking forward to hosting an online event on December 8th at 15:00 CET (6:00 AM – 8:00 AM PT/ 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM MT/ 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM CT/ 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM ET). The free webinar will focus on Pollinators in the urban environment.

The webinar aims to share knowledge on the relevance of pollinators in the urban environment and to showcase examples of urban pollinator policies and initiatives. We want to enhance attention with other cities and city-influencers and identify facilitators that help cities to develop and implement pollinators strategies. The webinar will last about 2 hours and will be divided into two parts: presentations and panel discussions between experts.
This event will not be recorded. Learn more and register here today.
Program
Presentations
The presentations about pollinators in the urban environment will be held by various experts.

State of the art science

Katherine Baldock (Nortumbria University)

The national perspective

Mexico, Sol Ortiz Garcia (Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development)

What is happening in cities?

Montreal – Michel St-Germain (Montreal Insectarium Museum)
Tallinn – Meelis Uustal (Tallinn City Government)
Nairobi – Wanja Kinuthia

The Bee City and Bee Campus USA Initiatives

Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation)

Panel discussion
The presentations will be followed by panel discussions. Leading questions:

what are critical success factors for good urban pollinator initiatives?
(how) can urban pollinator initiatives contribute to science and awareness?
how can other governmental levels support the development of urban pollinator initiatives?

Would you like to participate?
You can sign up for the webinar here. The webinar will be broadcast live aii 15:00 CET. You can help us by sharing the link with your network and inviting other professionals working on pollinator protection. We look forward to your attendance! The webinar will be held in English and is open to the public, both members and non-members are invited to attend.
About Promote Pollinators
Promote Pollinators, the Coalition of the Willing on Pollinators, is a coalition of countries and observers who believe that country-led politics can foster policy measures and innovative action to protect pollinators. Pollinators play a key role in the conservation of biological diversity, ecosystems, food production and the global economy. The effects of current human activities hamper animal pollination. Promote Pollinators reaches out to potential new partners to develop and implement national pollinator strategies.

Mace Vaughn – Pollinator and Agricultural Biodiversity Co-Director – Xerces Society
Mace Vaughan serves as the Xerces Society’s Pollinator and Ag Biodiversity Program Co-Director and as a Partner Biologist and Conservation Entomologist to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Mace has 25 years of experience working on insect and pollinator conservation issues across the U.S. and abroad, where he has helped to improve federal and state policy, implement national conservation programs, restore habitat, write guidelines, teach diverse audiences, and conduct research and monitoring to conserve biodiversity.

Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA reporting window opens
2024-01-08 | Online
Log in to fill out your Bee City or Bee Campus annual report on the “Renewal” tab. Pay your renewal fee on the “Fee Payment” tab.
If your city or campus was certified in 2022 or earlier: your renewal report and annual fee are due in February 29, 2024. If you are one of our first 60 affiliates, you are an early adopter and do not need to pay the renewal fee.
If your city or campus was certified in 2023: your renewal report and annual fee are due in February 28, 2025
If this is your first year of reporting and are wondering what’s involved, check out some of last year’s reports for inspiration.
Thank you!

Proposal window open: Mid-Atlantic Monarch And Pollinator Habitat Kit Program
2024-01-19 - 2024-02-18 | Online
The proposal window is open now through February 18 for the Xerces Society’s Mid-Atlantic Monarch and Pollinator Kits! Please feel free to share this with anyone you think might qualify (including Bee Cities and Bee Campuses!):
🌻 Qualifying projects: Urban farms, community gardens and spaces, working lands, public lands and tribal lands. Not for residential/private homes.
🌻 Qualifying locations: Mid-Atlantic and NYC region
🌻 Special kit features: Supports monarch butterflies and native pollinators
🌻 Project proposals: January 19 – February 18, 2024
🌻 Kit pickup: May to June
Learn more and submit a proposal

Bee City Open House: Pesticides, Policy, & You
2024-01-25 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Rosemary Malfi and Aaron Anderson from the Xerces Society’s Pesticide Team for an “ask me anything”-style open house! Rosemary and Aaron will give short presentations, with case studies on practical pesticide reduction outreach and policy reform ideas. We will have plenty of time for a Q&A and group discussion on anything pesticide and policy related. This session is for anyone living or working in a Bee City and Bee Campus.
This free Bee City USA webinar is hosted by Xerces Society and will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel on the Bee City USA playlist. Auto-generated Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
Speakers:
Rosemary Malfi
Pesticide Program Specialist, Policy Lead – The Xerces Society
Rosemary Malfi (she/her) serves as the policy lead for the pesticide program at the Xerces Society, where she is working to support and advocate for policy solutions to reduce pesticide use. Rosemary holds a Ph.D. in environmental sciences from the University of Virginia (2015) and completed postdoctoral research positions in entomology at UC Davis and in Biology at UMass Amherst. Before coming to Xerces, Rosemary worked at the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass), where she spent two years coordinating a grassroots network of community groups dedicated to pollinator protection and pesticide reform in Massachusetts. Rosemary lives with her family on the land of the Massachusett people in Salem, where she enjoys gardening, bird-watching, and raising two young nature lovers.
Aaron Anderson
Pesticide Program Specialist, Towns and Cities Lead – 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. 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.
Laura Rost
National Coordinator, Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA – The Xerces Society

In the Life of Beetles: Superstars of soil health, pollination, and more!
2024-01-25 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces Society Youtube Channel

Beetles are one of the most diverse groups of insects on the planet and are endlessly fascinating. Join Jennifer Hopwood to learn more about how beetles are helping us in myriad ways, by contributing to soil health, controlling crop and garden pests, pollinating plants; and learn more about steps we can take to help them.
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, Midwest – 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.

Proposal window open: Wisconsin Pollinator Habitat Kits
2024-01-30 - 2024-03-06 | Online
The proposal window is open now through March 6 for the Xerces Society’s Wisconsin Pollinator Habitat Kits! Please feel free to share this with anyone you think might qualify (including Bee Cities and Bee Campuses!):
🌿 Qualifying projects: Working lands or community food initiatives
🌿 Qualifying locations: Wisconsin
🌿 Special kit features: Supports monarch butterflies, native pollinators, and beneficial insects
🌿 Project proposals: January 30 – March 6, 2024
🌿 Kit pickup: June
Learn more and submit a proposal

Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count Announcement: The Numbers Are In!
2024-01-30 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces Society Youtube Channel.

How many monarch butterflies were counted in the Western US this overwintering season? Find out the grand tally for the annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving count, and learn what this year’s numbers mean in terms of monarch conservation moving forward.
Join Isis Howard for the live announcement of Thanksgiving count findings and a summary of volunteer and partner effort. This webinar will highlight data collected during the 2023 Thanksgiving count, which ran for three weeks between 11/11/23 – 12/3/23. (New Year’s count data will be published separately to WesternMonarchCount.org in late February).
Many thanks to the volunteers, partners and funders who made this effort possible!

Isis Howard – Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Western Monarch Community Science – Xerces Society
As an endangered species conservation biologist, Isis works in California to protect and support the western population of monarch butterflies. She manages several community science projects, including the annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count and the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper, and provides support to land managers and the public on maintaining and restoring western monarch breeding habitat. Prior to joining Xerces, Isis worked for a resource conservation district and the North Coast Soil Hub, advancing climate adaptation work in the agricultural sector, engaging diverse community partners, and expanding the RCDs’ western monarch and pollinator program. Originally from Sonoma County, CA, Isis is an experienced outdoor educator and holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental management and protection with a minor in biology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In her free time, Isis enjoys listening to podcasts, trying new creative outlets, and advocating for diversity and inclusion in the outdoors.

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: North Central Region﻿
2024-01-31 12:30 - 13:30 (America/North_Dakota/Center) | Online
Join Micah Kloppenburg, Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Specialist for a short presentation on urban connectivity, followed by an extended Q&A and group discussion. This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.
Feel free to join us if you are a Bee City or Bee Campus affiliate in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
This free Bee City USA webinar is hosted by Xerces Society and will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel on the Bee City USA playlist. Auto-generated Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
Micah Kloppenburg
Wisconsin Pollinator Conservation Specialist
The Xerces Society

As the Wisconsin Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Micah provides technical assistance to agricultural producers, land stewards, and community groups interested in creating and protecting pollinator habitat. Previously, Micah worked as an ecologist for a WI non-profit where he supported land owners in achieving their habitat protection and restoration goals; and, for a county parks department where he developed and led creative conservation activities and programming for youth and community groups. Micah holds a Master’s degree in restoration ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied plant community change in remnant hillside prairies in the Driftless region. He enjoys canoeing, dabbling in jewelry metal art, and growing as many onions and garlic as he and his family can fit in their small garden.

Group photo credit: Bee Campus USA South Dakota State University
Staff photo credit: Micah Kloppenburg

Proposal window open: Detroit Pollinator Habitat Kits
2024-02-05 - 2024-03-16 | Online
The proposal window is open now through March 16 for the Xerces Society’s Detroit Pollinator Habitat Kits! Please feel free to share this with anyone you think might qualify:
🦋 Qualifying projects: Historically underserved and community-serving urban farms, community gardens, and community organizations
🦋 Qualifying locations: Metro Detroit, MI
🦋 Special kit features: Emphasis on urban agricultural landscapes and habitat aesthetics in cities; native plants attractive to pollinators, natural enemies of pests, and your community.
🦋 Project proposals: February 5 – March 16, 2024
🦋 Kit pickup: Late May / Early June
Learn more and submit a proposal
