Bee City USA

Bug Banter Podcast Live: All About Bees!
2024-06-17 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Join Bug Banter co-hosts Matthew Shepherd and Rachel Dunham as they welcome back podcast guests Kass Urban-Mead and Rich Hatfield with special guest Mace Vaughan, Pollinator Program and Agricultural Biodiversity Director for a Q & A session on all things bees. Bring your questions about bees and your enthusiasm.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel and all major podcast platforms. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Mace Vaughan – Pollinator and Agricultural Biodiversity Co-Director – 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. 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. His work with other staff at the Xerces Society and the USDA-NRCS has led to the implementation of hundreds of thousands of acres of pollinator and beneficial insect habitat on farms throughout the U.S.

Kass Urban-Mead – Pollinator Conservation Specialist and NRCS Partner Biologist Mid-Atlantic – 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. Her graduate work in the Cornell Entomology Department characterized the wild bees active in early spring forests and forest canopies, and how the movement of bees between forests and orchards can support orchard pollination. Kass grew up raising 4-H dairy goats in the Hudson Valley. She completed a masters at Yale Forestry, worked for a summer at the Arnold Arboretum, and did ecological research in southern France.

Rachel Dunham – Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator – Xerces Society
As the Xerces Society’s first Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator, Rachel has built their Ambassador Program from the ground up and is finding new ways for Xerces to connect to communities through X Kids and the Bug Banter podcast. She has always loved wildlife and being outdoors. Rachel pursued her passion for nature graduating with a bachelor’s in ecology, and earning a master’s of wildlife conservation. 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. She now lives in Montana with her husband and adventure pup.

Matthew Shepherd – Director of Outreach and Education – 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 issues, as well as several years leading Xerces’ communications work. Throughout this time, he maintained a direct involvement in pollinator conservation in towns and cities, and in his current role has returned to outreach and community engagement. Much of this focuses on supporting neighborhood-level efforts such as pollinator gardens and small habitat projects in parks, as well as leading the Bring Back the Pollinators campaign and promoting the No Mow May and Leave the Leaves initiatives.

Rich Hatfield – Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist; Bumble Bee Conservation Lead – Xerces Society
Rich manages all aspects of the Xerces Society’s work on bumble bees. Rich has a master’s degree in conservation biology from San Francisco State University, and he joined the Xerces Society in 2012. While earning his degree, his thesis focused on local- and landscape-level factors that contribute to bumble bee species richness and abundance. He has also investigated native bee pollination in agricultural systems in the Central Valley of California and researched endangered butterflies in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest. 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.

In the Life of Western Butterflies
2024-06-27 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Many of us know the butterfly life cycle– egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult. But how does this life cycle work in the hot Mojave or Sonoran deserts? What are butterflies in isolated springs across the West eating as caterpillars? How do they survive the winter in the Cascade Mountains? And how are these butterflies responding to habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and the changing climate we all find ourselves in?
The western United States contains hundreds of butterfly species, found in habitats ranging from hot, arid deserts to the peaks of the High Sierras. While some of these butterflies are widespread and can (luckily) be found in gardens, parks and natural areas across the West, others are much more localized. All of these species have amazing strategies to survive and thrive in what can be some of the most hostile climates in the United States. And many of them are facing threats new and old to their populations and habitats. Join Kevin Burls, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, as he starts with an overview of butterfly diversity in the West and then highlights some of the amazing strategies that have allowed them to colonize deserts, grasslands, and mountains. Kevin will also discuss the threats these butterflies face, and how we can all protect them and their habitats.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Kevin Burls – Endangered Species Conservation Biologist – Xerces Society
As a conservation biologist 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. Many of these species are currently in decline or are threatened by habitat loss, insecticides, and the effects of climate change. Kevin’s work includes collaborating with land managers and scientists to understand the conservation needs of butterfly species, then advocating for their protection by crafting conservation guidelines and legislation with agencies and policy makers at the regional, state, and federal levels.
Before working with the Xerces Society, Kevin was the integrated pest management educator for the University of Nevada, Reno Extension program, 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. As a part of this work Kevin has spent several seasons searching for some of Nevada’s endemic and at-risk butterfly species in the mountains and deserts of the Great Basin. He holds a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology from the University of Nevada, Reno. In his free time, you can find him hiking with his wife, son, and two dogs, or fixing the drip irrigation at his home in Washoe Valley, Nevada.

National Moth Week
2024-07-20 - 2024-07-31
Moths are important pollinators, too! Visit nationalmothweek.org to find events and activities near you.
Photo Credit: Karin Jokela/ Xerces Society

In the Life of: Butterflies East of the Rockies
2024-07-25 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Join Ray Moranz and Steve Armstead, Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Specialists, to explore the world of butterflies east of the Rockies. This webinar continues to explore the life of butterflies that began in the west and now looks east over the Continental Divide running along the Rockies to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. This large extent of the country includes diverse landscapes ranging from alpine peaks, arid grasslands, fertile plains, forests, farms, and coastal wetlands. In all of these landscapes, butterflies can be found and have adapted strategies allowing them to find host plants and complete their life cycle. These butterflies may include those with narrower geographies and depend on more localized and specific habitat conditions, and others more common and widespread. Ray and Steve will provide an overview of the diversity of eastern butterflies, including some iconic species while highlighting some of the fascinating butterflies that have life strategies to survive in specific and challenging habitats. Learn about the threats butterflies must contend with including habitat loss, changing climate conditions and land management practices, and what we can all do to protect them and their habitats.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Ray Moranz – Pollinator Conservation Specialist, NRCS Partner Biologist, Central Region – 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.

Steve Armstead – Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Nature-Based Climate Solutions, Colorado – Xerces Society
As the Colorado Front Range Pollinator Conservation and Nature-Based Climate Solutions Specialist, Steve partners on efforts to coordinate, manage and build high quality, connected, climate-resilient pollinator habitat in the Colorado Front Range covering the Boulder, Denver and Fort Collins areas. Steve will be working with the City of Boulder on their pollinator conservation and nature-based climate initiatives, while also exploring ways to expand and leverage support for pollinator conservation and climate solution efforts throughout the region.
Steve has extensive experience working in natural lands management, planning, and community engagement after a lengthy career with the City of Boulder’s Open Space program. Steve holds a Master’s Degree in Museum and Field Studies focusing on Entomology from the University of Colorado – Boulder, where he surveyed and established a system to monitored butterflies across local natural areas. He enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, and the many labors associated with taking care of a small horse farm and improving the extent of its pollinator habitat.

International Monarch Monitoring Blitz
2024-07-26 - 2024-08-04
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.
Join this year’s International Monarch Monitoring Blitz from 26 July to 4 August 2024!
To take part in the Blitz, please share your observations through one of the participating community science programs below:
Canada: Mission Monarch
Mexico:

Naturalista
Correo Real Program

United States:

Journey North
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper

National Farmers Market Week
2024-08-04 - 2024-08-10
National Farmers Market Week is in its 25th year. This annual celebration highlights the vital role farmers markets play in our nation’s food system. Farmers Market Week includes fun events, programs, contests, activities, and more! The week helps to boost market attendance and visibility as well as showcase the value markets bring to their communities.
Learn more here today!

Gardening Can Be A Shady Affair
2024-08-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Think you can’t garden because all you have is shade in your yard? Think again! Join Bee City USA-Hampton member Gayle Mooney for this delightful presentation on gardening in the shade and a tour through her yard. Registration link.
Eastern time zone! Noon to 1pm

In The Life Of Wasps: Hunters, Pollinators, Masons, And More
2024-08-22 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces Society YouTube channel

Join us to learn more about the diverse lives of wasps! Pollinator Conservation Specialists, Jennifer Hopwood and Rae Powers will outline the roles of wasps, highlight some key groups, outline conservation measures, and address concerns about wasps.
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, NRCS Partner Staff Support, Roadside Specialist – 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.

Rae Powers – Pollinator Conservation Specialist, NRCS Partner Biologist, Nebraska and South Dakota – Xerces Society
Rae is a Nebraska native with a bachelor’s of science in environmental studies and a master’s of science in ecology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Her previous environmental work has focused on the function and diversity of the prairie ecosystem; researching the impacts of restoration, management, and soils; and experiencing the joys and trials of native plant production. Currently, Rae works with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff and landowners in Nebraska and South Dakota to create and protect pollinator habitat using farm bill programs. Her environmental work has taken her to the shores of Alaska with the National Wildlife Refuge system, the lakes of northern Minnesota as a canoe guide, and, most recently, to the wide prairies of Midwest. Her time with the Nebraska Natural Heritage program exposed her to the array of rare and endangered species found in grassland ecosystems, and her work with The Nature Conservancy and the native seed farm Prairie Legacy, Inc. focused on the function and diversity of the mixed-grass prairie. When she’s not out in the field, Rae can often be found reading library books, at the dog park, or planting wildflowers in the front y

National Recreation & Parks Association Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz
2024-09-01 - 2024-09-30
Parks for Pollinators is a national campaign to raise awareness and community involvement in the pollinator crisis through local parks and recreation and like-minded organizations. NRPA and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation are challenging local parks to get involved and host a pollinator BioBlitz during September.
Visit the NRPA Pollinators BioBlitz Page to learn more about the benefits of hosting an event today!

Pollinator Gardens with a Purpose
2024-09-28 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, F, 33774, United States
This program will discuss the connection our lives have to our important pollinators and how you can transform your home landscapes into a balanced and healthy environment. You will enjoy learning about the important role native plants play in a thriving ecosystem. From trees to flowers, our pollinators need a good mix of diversity to bring life to our urban landscapes. We will explore the many different pollinator plants available, and how to use them to create your very own home ecosystem. Zack Pitchford from Wilcox Nursery and Landscape will present the topic.

Fall Wildflower & Pollinator Festival
2024-10-05 09:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Wildflower and Pollinator Festival, October 5, 2024
The annual family-friendly Wildflower and Pollinator Festival returns to Brooker Creek Preserve this year on Saturday, October 5 from 9:00-2:00!
This year’s festival will include some of the most popular activities like:
• Butterfly Encounter – wander through a butterfly enclosure for an up-close encounter with our winged wonders
• Native Plant Vendors – local nurseries will be offering native plants perfect for planting your own pollinator garden at home
• Wildflower Quest – discover native wildflowers at the Preserve on a short, self-guided hike and receive a prize!
• Arts and Crafts – Pollinator-themed arts and crafts suitable for the whole family, all day in the Auditorium
• Refreshments – MyCone Creamery will be on-site offering delicious, custom-made coffee and decadent ice cream
• Tattoo Station – visitors can wear a delightful temporary tattoo designed by Florida Artist Kate Dolamore of Kate Dolamore Art.
In addition to these favorites, this year’s festival will also include a real honeybee hive demonstration and a chance to learn more about these European helpers that make local honey. Author Linda Smock will be reading her newest book: Black-eyed Susan and Friends. The book follows a child exploring a garden stopping along the way through the pages of the book to explain about the pollinators they see along the way. Great for families!
Parking for the event is first-come first served.
Dogs and pets are not allowed at the Preserve.
Wildflower and Pollinator Festival
Brooker Creek Preserve
3940 Keystone Road
Tarpon Springs, FL 34688

IPM Toolkit Webinar
2024-10-10 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
To protect pollinators, Bee Cities and Campuses are reducing pesticide use and embracing integrated pest management practices. To help, we’re launching a new IPM Plan Toolkit to guide affiliates as they create or improve their IPM plans. Join us for a presentation by Aaron Anderson, Pesticide Program Specialist at the Xerces Society, to learn about these brand new resources and review why IPM and pest reduction is such an important BCUSA commitment. We’ll also share some examples of affiliates doing creative IPM work in their communities. This session is appropriate for all Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA affiliates, including grounds staff; city or campus managers; and community members.
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.

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. 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.

World Migratory Bird Day for Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean
2024-10-12
World Migratory Bird Day is an extension of Interntaional Migratory Bird Day, which focused on the Western Hemispere and started in 1993. Continuing the tradition with IMBD, WMBD celebrates and brings attention to one of the most important and spectacular events in the Americas – bird migration. It includes 700 events and programs dedicated to introducing the public to migratory birds and ways to conserve them.
Although Migratory Bird Day is officially celebrated on the Second Saturday in October for Mexico, Cenral and South America, and the Carribean, as migrating birds return to wintering sites, birds do not all migrate at the same time. To provide the opportunity to observe birds on stopover sites as they journey, you are encouraged to celebrate when the timing is best at your location. WMBD programs and events are hosted nearly every month of the year.
Every day is Bird Day!

Bat Week
2024-10-24 - 2024-10-31
Bat Week is an international celebration of the role of bats in nature. It is designed to raise awareness about the need for bat conservation. Bats are amazing creatures that are vital to the health of our natural world and economy. Although we may not always see them, bats are hard at work all around the world each night – eating tons of insects, pollinating flowers, and spreading seeds that grow new plants and trees.
Photo Credit: Paul Moosman/ Wikimedia

Celebrating Invertebrates: A Year of Conservation with the Xerces Society
2024-12-05 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
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
Join Executive Director Scott Black as he explores the impactful work of the Xerces Society in 2024. From creating pollinator habitat and advocating for pesticide reduction to launching community science initiatives and educational programs, Xerces has achieved remarkable progress in invertebrate conservation.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Scott Black – Executive Director – Xerces Society

Western Butterflies and Lost Species in the Anthropocene
2025-01-09 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Monitoring is essential to our understanding of insects in the modern era, the Anthropocene, and monitoring comes in many different forms and serves different purposes. Join Matt Forister, professor in the Biology Department at the University of Nevada, Reno, as he discusses working with North America’s longest-running butterfly monitoring project across Northern California, and presents major findings with respect to the impacts of climate change and pesticides on butterfly populations. He will also talk about data from projects supported by community scientists, which are going to be of increasing importance in the coming years. Finally, Matt will discuss new efforts to organize information on species that appear to be lost, but, with effort from scientists and the public, might be found again.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar. 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

Matt Forister is a professor of biology and insect ecology in the Biology Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. He has studied butterflies and other insects in the western US for the last 20 years, and has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters on issues that include insects adapting to exotic plants and butterflies responding to a changing climate. One of the main concerns for Forister and his graduate students is the collection of data at sites in the Sierra Nevada that have been studied for almost 50 years, a project originally started by Art Shapiro of UC Davis.

Proposal Window Open: Mid-Atlantic Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kits Project
2025-01-21 - 2025-02-16
The proposal window is open now through February 16 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 20 – February 16, 2025
🌻 Kit pickup: Late-May to Early-June (exact dates TBD)
Learn more and submit a proposal

Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA Renewal Report Walk-Through
2025-01-22 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Is this your first year reporting on your community’s Bee City or Bee Campus activities? We’re here to help! Join us for a walk-through of the reporting process on Jan. 22. We’ll show you how to navigate the website and access a preview of the report. For inspiration, we’ll share recent examples of great reports from Bee Cities and Bee Campuses.
Who reports in 2025? If your community was certified as a Bee City or Bee Campus (BCUSA) in 2023 or earlier, your report on 2024 activities is due by Feb. 28, 2025. The reporting window opens Feb. 1.
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.

Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA Reporting Window Opens
2025-02-01
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 2023 or earlier: your renewal report and annual fee are due on February 28, 2025. 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 2024: your renewal report and annual fee are due in February 28, 2026
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: Detroit Pollinator Habitat Kits
2025-02-07 - 2025-03-20
Qualifying projects: Community-serving urban farms, community gardens, and community organizations
Qualifying locations: Detroit and Greater 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 7 – March 20, 2025
Kit pickup: Late May / Early June

Learn more and submit your proposal here

Proposal Window Open: California Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kits
2025-02-10 - 2025-04-04
Qualifying projects: Working lands, public lands, tribal lands, and private/non-working lands recovering from wildfires
Qualifying locations: Distinct regions in California (Central Coast, Central Valley, Sierra Nevada Foothills, and Southern California)
Special kit features: Supports monarch butterflies and other pollinators, climate-smart selections
Project proposals: February 10 – April 4, 2025
Kit pickup: October; December (Southern California)

Learn more and submit your proposal here

Great Buzz Gathering
2025-02-15 12:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | The Mule at Devil’s Foot, 131 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, 28803
For the 6th year, Bee City USA-Asheville is convening a gathering of pollinator, native plant, and biodiversity enthusiasts to celebrate current pollinator conservation efforts to inspire future opportunities for collaboration.
12:00 PM ET Doors for networking and visiting exhibitors. Relax and grab a beverage or lunch from the food truck!
1:00 PM ET The formal program of 10-minute presentations begins:
1.Bill Jones, Owner, Carolina Native Nursery—How the Southeast’s Largest Supplier of Native Shrubs Is Recovering From Helene
2. Ruth Gonzalez, Member, Bee City USA-Asheville Leadership Committee—The Asheville Butterfly Trail Is Taking Flight!
3. Dr. Jennifer Geib, Associate Professor, Biology Department, Appalachian State University— Pollinators in Peril: How Climate Change Is Shifting the Buzz
4. Hannah Coats, Land Resources Manager & Elijah Charette, Stewardship Coordinator, RiverLink—Best Natives for Replanting Streambanks & Floodplains
5. Keith Aitken, Urban Forester, City of Asheville—A Brighter Future for Asheville’s Tree Canopy
2:00—3:00 PM ET Visit speakers and other exhibitors at their tables.
Whether you’re passionate about gardening, fascinated by biodiversity, or simply curious about how to help, this is your opportunity to join the movement. Together, let’s create a world where pollinators—and all life—can thrive. We can’t wait to see you there!

Radio-Tracking Monarchs: Harnessing Technology to Unravel Western Migration and Habitat Insights
2025-02-20 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Join Xerces Society Endangered Species Conservation Biologist and Monarch Overwintering Specialist, Ashley Fisher, to learn about radio-tracking monarchs. Radio-tracking is a new technology that answers long-held questions about the western monarch movement and habitat use. See this technology in action and how it will help conserve our precious western monarchs.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Ashley Fisher – Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Monarch Overwintering Specialist – Xerces Societyo

Bee City and Bee Campus Renewal Reports and Fees Due
2025-02-28
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 2023 or earlier: your renewal report and annual fee are due on February 28, 2025. 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 2024: your renewal report and annual fee are due on February 28, 2026
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!

Best Practices for Pollinators Summit
2025-03-03 08:00 - 2025-03-05 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Learn ecologically sound land practices that promote pollinators, climate resilience, clean waters and lands. Practical knowledge and innovation on pesticide reduction, habitat installation, fostering soil health, pollinator biology, pollinator conservation and more. March 3rd, 4th, and 5th, 8 AM – 12:00 PM PT each day.
Hosted by: Pollinator Friendly Alliance.
Learn more and register here today.

Proposal Window Open: Oregon Habitat Kits
2025-03-13 - 2025-04-01
Qualifying projects: Working lands, public lands, tribal lands, community spaces. Not for residential/private homes.
Qualifying region: The Klamath-Siskiyou Region of SW Oregon
Project proposals: Open now – April 1, 2025
Kit pickup: October 2025
Please visit the Oregon Habitat Kit website for more information on how to participate.

Facts Are Not Enough: Science Communication and Audience Emotions
2025-03-13 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Unfortunately, there isn’t “one weird trick” to communicating bug science. We know that emotions are important in persuading people and encouraging evidence-based decision making. But how do you make a real connection in a time of misinformation and political division? Join Gwen Pearson, science communicator and entomologist, to explore this topic in our upcoming webinar.
This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces Society’s YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Gwen Pearson is an award-winning science communicator with a PhD in Entomology. In addition to her work writing for WIRED Magazine, Highlights For Kids, and other science news outlets, she’s run an insect zoo and worked as an Extension Entomologist in various roles. She’s now retired and is an Outreach Ambassador for the non-profit Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.

Webinar - Still Growing: Pollinator Habitat Maintenance Tips
2025-03-25 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Planting flowers can be a feel-good community activity, but who is sticking around to upkeep that new garden? Quality pollinator habitat needs a game plan for long-term success.
Join Xerces Society staff Kaitlin Haase and Stefanie Steele as they share their on-the-ground experiences with pollinator plantings. They will review common challenges, offer best practices, and share resources to help your plantings thrive. Bee City and Bee Campus case studies will be highlighted and we’ll have a Q&A at the end. This will be an interactive webinar, so please bring your issues, advice, and achievements. Participation is encouraged!
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.

Guest Speaker Bios

Kaitlin Haase
Pollinator Conservation Specialist
Southwest
As the Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist for the Xerces Society, 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.

Stefanie Steele
Pollinator Conservation Specialist
NRCS Partner Biologist
Urban and Small Farms
Michigan
Stefanie is the Xerces Society’s 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.

The Truth About Mosquito Sprays: Investigating their Impact on Pollinators
2025-04-17 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
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
Insecticides sprayed to kill adult mosquitoes are often used in home yards, as mosquitoes can be a nuisance and health risk. But, the insecticides used in these sprays are broadly toxic to insects, and the risks they pose to pollinators isn’t well known. In the summer of 2023, Xerces performed a study comparing insecticide residues and quantifying risk to pollinators in yards sprayed by private mosquito spray services, in yards near a neighbor who sprayed, and yards sprayed by vector control districts. Join Aaron Anderson, Pesticide Program Specialist and Towns and Cities Lead, to hear the results of the study and discover practical, non-chemical mosquito management strategies for use at home.
This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces Society’s YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Aaron Anderson – Pesticide Program Specialist, Towns and Cities Lead – Xerces Society
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.

Bumble Bee Atlas Ecology And Conservation
2025-04-19 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PT / 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM MT / 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM CT / 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM ET
The nearly fifty species of bumble bees in North America are highly efficient pollinators of our natural areas and farm fields, making them essential to ecosystem function. Unfortunately, substantial declines in widespread and formerly common species have been reported. Between climate change, the widespread use of pesticides, habitat loss, and the amplification and spread of diseases from commercial bees, bumble bees face an uphill challenge to recover from observed declines, and repopulate areas where they’ve been lost. In this webinar we will discuss bumble bee ecology, how that interacts with ongoing conservation issues, and what we can all do to help. The good news is that we can all contribute. Beyond participating in our Bumble Bee Atlas projects, protecting, creating, and restoring habitat is the key. We’ll discuss how to provide critical aspects of habitat to benefit each stage of the life cycle, whether you have a small porch, or manage several acres.
While this webinar is directed toward our Bumble Bee Atlas volunteers, anyone is welcome to join. The webinar will be led by the bumble bee conservation crew at the Xerces Society: Katie Lamke, Leif Richardson, Genevieve Pugesek, Molly Martin, Michelle Toshack, Amy Dolan and Rich Hatfield, who will be joined by Dr. Elaine Evans and Elise Bernstein of the University of Minnesota.
This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
