Bee City USA

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.

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: South & Southeast
2025-04-24 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Join us for our regional virtual meeting for the South & Southeastern US! We are giving the floor to Bee Cities and Bee Campuses to share their pollinator conservation events with the group.
Did you host a Moth Night, bioblitz, or pollinator festival? We want to hear how it went! This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.
If you would like to be featured, email 1-2 high resolution photos (with photo credit) and a short event/activity description to beecityusa@xerces.org. Selected presenters will have 5-10 minutes to speak, with extra time for questions and group discussion.
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, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Virginia, and Texas.
This free Bee City USA webinar will be recorded and available to affiliates who are unable to attend. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Photo credit: Bee City USA – Rowlett, TX

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: West
2025-05-01 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Join us for our virtual regional meeting for the Western US! We are giving the floor to Bee Cities and Bee Campuses to share their pollinator conservation events with the group.
Did you host a Moth Night, bioblitz, or pollinator festival? We want to hear how it went! This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.
If you would like to be featured, email 1-2 high resolution photos (with photo credit) and a short event/activity description to beecityusa@xerces.org by April 25. Selected presenters will have 5-10 minutes to speak, with extra time for questions and group discussion.
Feel free to join us if you are a Bee City or Bee Campus affiliate in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming.
This free Bee City USA webinar will be recorded and available to affiliates who are unable to attend. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
Photo Credit: Clark College, WA

Bee City and Bee Campus USA Regional Meeting: Northeast
2025-05-08 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join us for our virtual regional meeting for the Northeastern US! We are giving the floor to Bee Cities and Bee Campuses to share their pollinator conservation events with the group.
Did you host a Moth Night, bioblitz, or pollinator festival? We want to hear how it went! This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.
If you would like to be featured, email 1-2 high resolution photos (with photo credit) and a short event/activity description to beecityusa@xerces.org by May 5. Selected presenters will have 5-10 minutes to speak, with extra time for questions and group discussion.
Feel free to join us if you are a Bee City or Bee Campus affiliate in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington DC, or West Virginia.
This free Bee City USA webinar will be recorded and available to affiliates who are unable to attend. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
Photo Credit: University of Maryland Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

Collecting Urban Bee Data: Community Science Training
2025-05-08 18:00 - 19:30 (America/North_Dakota/Beulah) | Zoom
Join us for a FREE online event to learn about native bees in urban spaces and how to collect community science data that supports them!
During the event, learn how to get invonvoled in a new iNaturalist Project “Urban Bees of the Great Lakes Region”
Help scientists learn about urban bees by sharing observations from your city!
View the project here

Insect Restoration and Conservation: Creating Usable Habitats in Human-Dominated Landscapes
2025-05-22 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

Although most ecosystems on Earth are altered by humans, we still have little understanding of how to do conservation, especially of insects in human-dominated ecosystems. Join Dr. Chelse Prather, Associate Professor of Biology at the Univeristy of Daylon, to talk about four projects on this topic covering diverse ecosystems such as restored prairies, greenroofs, urban farms, and solar arrays as well as diverse insect groups like beetles, hemipterans, bees, ants, and butterflies.
This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Dr. Chelse Prather – Associate Professor – University of Dayton
Dr. Chelse Prather is an ecologist with 20 years of diverse experience working with insect communities in forests, grasslands, and urban ecosystems. She is a passionate instructor, mentor, and scientist. She has managed a variety of projects from understanding basic insect ecology, like what nutrients limit insect communities, to very applied projects, such as how the development of solar power affects insect communities.
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.

Webinar - Learn about Ground-Nesting Bees with Cornell’s GNBee Project
2025-05-22 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Did you know that most native bees are ground nesting? Aggregations (aka groups) of these nests are under-studied, but Dr. Jordan Kueneman at Cornell University is working to change that through Project GNBee (gnbee.org). Since spring 2023, the public has already provided over 5,000 observations of about 370 species of ground-nesting bees to GNBee. This community science project provides critical information for researchers to understand when, where, and why solitary ground-nesting bee aggregations occur. It’s easy to participate and the coming weeks are a great time of year to observe new bees emerging from the ground!
Please join Dr. Kueneman as he teaches us about ground nesting bees, shows off some great bee photos, and learn how your Bee City or Bee Campus community can get involved in GNBee.
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.

Dr. Jordan Kueneman
Cornell University
Dr. Jordan Kueneman is a research associate at Cornell University, working in the Danforth Lab within the Department of Entomology. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he focused on conservation medicine and host-associated microbiomes under the mentorship of Dr. Valerie McKenzie.
Following his Ph.D., he spent four years in Panama at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, studying plant and animal microbiomes. During this time, he led a large-scale project investigating the microbiome of bees across different life-history strategies, seasonal patterns, and spatial distributions.
Most recently, Dr. Kueneman has developed and runs Project GNBee, a research initiative dedicated to understanding why solitary ground-nesting bees form aggregations in specific locations, identifying the factors that determine their long-term success, and working to protect nesting aggregations where they occur.

Image credit: Jack Clauss and GNBee

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: North Central
2025-05-29 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join us for our virtual regional meeting for the North Central US! We are giving the floor to Bee Cities and Bee Campuses to share their pollinator conservation events with the group.
Did you host a Moth Night, bioblitz, or pollinator festival? We want to hear how it went! This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.
If you would like to be featured, email 1-2 high resolution photos (with photo credit) and a short event/activity description to beecityusa@xerces.org by May 26. Selected presenters will have 5-10 minutes to speak, with extra time for questions and group discussion.
Feel free to join us if you are a Bee City or Bee Campus affiliate in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin.
This free Bee City USA webinar will be recorded and available to affiliates who are unable to attend. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
Photo Credit: Council Bluffs Public Library

Pollen Palooza
2025-05-31 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Rogers Farm Demonstration Garden, 914 Bennoch Road, Old Town, M, 04468, United States
University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host Pollen Palooza, a free, family-friendly celebration of pollinators, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rogers Farm, 914 Bennoch Road, Old Town.
The event will feature engaging, educational activities for all ages focused on the essential role of bees, butterflies and other pollinators in Maine’s ecosystems. Visitors can enjoy ongoing attractions including face painting, free samples of Wyman’s fruit and peanut butter poppers from their Bee Wild Mobile, sunflower planting, a bee petting zoo, avian activities with Maine Audubon, live and pinned insects, 3-D pollen models, a pollinator-friendly seed tape activity, and an observation hive. Timed activities include How to Build and Maintain a Bee Hotel with UMaine Assistant Professor of Agricultural Entomology Phil Fanning at 11 a.m.; Insect and Plant Tours with Jennifer Lund, Hillary Peterson and Gary Fish from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry at 10:30 and noon; and Storytime with Cindy Seger from Old Town Public Library at 11 a.m.
Additional featured guests include UMaine students, Black Bear Beekeepers and Master Gardener Volunteers sharing knowledge and resources to help community members support pollinators in their own backyards. More information can be found at the Rogers Farm webpage.

Proposal Window Open: Southern California Residential Habitat Kits
2025-06-06 - 2025-08-06
Qualifying projects: Residential properties, school yards, community gardens, and urban gardens
Qualifying counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego
Special kit features: Supports monarch butterflies, bumble bees, and other native pollinators
Project proposals: June 6 – August 6, 2025
Kit pickup: December 8 – 13, 2025

Learn more and submit your proposal here

The Fascinating World of Bees: From Novel Monitoring Tools to Landscape-Level Stressors
2025-06-12 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
In this webinar, Dr. Laura Figueroa will present on the importance of pollinators worldwide, factors that influence pollinator communities, and novel monitoring tools (including non-lethal AI based approaches), for monitoring pollinators in changing landscapes. She will present work on bee communities in solar facilities and other human modified environments.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Dr. Laura Figueroa – Assistant Professor; Environmental Conservation Department – University of Massachusetts Amherst
Dr. Laura Figueroa is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Conservation Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Figueroa was previously an NSF postdoctoral research fellow, and completed her PhD in entomology at Cornell University. She is broadly interested in insect conservation, with a focus on pollinators in changing landscapes and climate change. She has worked in temperate regions (primarily the Northeastern US) as well as in the tropics (in Costa Rica and in Colombia), and her active research program seeks to answer pressing questions in the field of pollinator conservation.
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.

Building Pollinator Habitat Q & A - Bug Banter Podcast Live!
2025-06-17 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
Join Bug Banter podcast co-hosts Rachel Dunham and Matthew Shepherd for a special live recording in celebration of Pollinator Week! They’ll be joined by a panel of staff experts to answer your questions and dive into how we can support butterflies, bees, and other vital insects. Bring your questions about creating pollinator-friendly habitats and be part of the conversation to help protect these essential species.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel as well as on Bug Banter on all podcast platforms. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Rachel Dunham – Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator – Xerces Society

Matthew Shepherd – Director of Outreach and Education – Xerces Society
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.

Vancouver Pollinator Festival - Featuring Keynote Speaker Dr. Robert Michael Pyle
2025-06-21 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Marshall Park, 1069 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver, WA, 98663
The Vancouver Bee Project is thrilled to announce that Dr. Robert Michael Pyle, an internationally acclaimed naturalist, author, butterfly expert, and founder of the Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation, will be the keynote speaker at our 2nd Annual Pollinator Festival! Join us on Saturday, June 21, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Marshall Park in Vancouver, WA, for a day dedicated to celebrating pollinators and their essential role in our ecosystems.
About Dr. Robert Michael Pyle
Bob Pyle’s journey as a naturalist began in a rather unusual way: studying seashells in Colorado. Realizing this wasn’t the best location for marine life, he turned his focus to butterflies—a decision that would shape a lifetime of work protecting and studying pollinators.
Bob graduated from the University of Washington and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study butterfly conservation in England. He later earned his PhD in butterfly ecology at Yale University, a cornerstone of his illustrious career. From studying the world’s largest butterflies in Papua New Guinea to working in conservation biology across the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Pyle has dedicated his life to understanding and preserving the natural world.
As the founder of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the largest pollinator protection organization in the world, Dr. Pyle has spent over 50 years advocating for the conservation of insects that are vital to biodiversity and agriculture.
A prolific writer and storyteller, Dr. Pyle is the author of 30 books, including Wintergreen, Where Bigfoot Walks, and Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest. His poetic and thoughtful prose invites readers to connect with nature and explore the beauty of the world around them. He is also an honorary Life Fellow of both the American and Royal Entomological Societies, a testament to his immense contributions to insect conservation and education.
Dr. Pyle’s keynote speech at this year’s festival will delve into the fascinating world of pollinators, sharing insights from his decades of research and the stories of butterflies, moths, and other pollinators that enrich our lives.
Celebrate Pollinators With Us
Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and moths are critical to the health of our ecosystems, yet they face increasing threats from habitat loss and climate change. The Pollinator Festival brings the community together to celebrate these vital creatures and learn how we can protect them.
This year’s event will feature:

Keynote Speech by Dr. Robert Michael Pyle: A deep dive into the lives of pollinators and how we can all play a role in their conservation. We will announce other speakers soon!
Guided Nature Walks: Explore Marshall Park, the Clark Public Utilities pollinator garden, VITA Elementary green schoolyard, and the Clark College Bee Campus pollinator meadows and learn to identify local pollinators in their natural habitats.
Kids’ Zone: Enjoy Harper’s Playground at Marshall Park. Fun and educational activities to inspire the next generation of pollinator advocates. More on this soon!
Local Vendors and Food Trucks: Enjoy delicious food and shop for eco-friendly products.
Community Booths: Meet organizations dedicated to protecting the environment and promoting sustainability

Manassas Bee Festival
2025-06-21 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Liberia House and Grounds, 8601 Portner Ave, Manassas City, VA, United States
Manassas Bee Festival Saturday, 6/21/25 Liberia House & Grounds 8601 Portner Ave.
Join thousands of visitors and buzz on by to have fun and learn about honeybees, native pollinators, and planting native plants at this FREE annual event!
Look at the fun and educational activities that we are planning in the City of Manassas!
Sign-up to join us as a vendor, sponsor, speaker, or volunteer:
. Dress like a pollinator and join our costume parade
. Learn the waggle dance and try our spelling bee for prizes
. Local honey
. Community apiary of honey bee hives plus native bee houses
. Vendors galore
. Farm animals
. Food trucks
. Local Brew, Mead and Spirits Garden
. Bounce house, games, crafts
. Live music
. Bee, pollinator, healthy living, and native plant experts
. Plenty of parking with tractor and wagon rides
. Historic Liberia House with large trees, native gardens, park trails
. Join us at Manassas Museum on Prince William St. to follow the 2K Honey Hike signs to Liberia, home of the Manassas Bee Festival!

How Nurseries Can Provide Pollinator-Safe Plants: A Talk with MNL’s Greenhouse Manager
2025-07-22 10:00 - 23:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
10 AM PT/ 11 AM MT/ 12 PM CT/ 1 PM ET

How do you ensure your pollinator plants are bee-safe? Many pesticides are harmful to pollinators, but are permitted for use in nursery plant production, even on plants attractive to bees and butterflies. Plants can retain some pesticides long after they are applied, creating a hazard for visiting pollinators sometimes even after being planted in gardens and parks.
Come to this webinar to hear the story of how Minnesota Native Landscapes, Inc. (MNL), a large Midwest native plant nursery, collaborated with the Xerces Society to grow native plants without toxic pesticides. Ridge Campbell, Greenhouse Manager at MNL, will relate MNL’s experience growing 30,000 native plants for Xerces, while strictly limiting more than 100 insecticides and fungicides considered harmful to bees and butterflies. In this webinar, you can learn what it takes to make a “contract grow” succeed for both the grower and the buyer.
This webinar is a collaboration between Xerces Society and MNL and is supported by the Carroll Petrie Foundation. This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Ridge Campbell is the Greenhouse Manager at Minnesota Native Landscapes, Inc. (MNL), currently engaging in his 8th season in the greenhouse department. Growing up, he worked with his family’s landscaping business, specializing in water feature and garden installation. In this line of work, Ridge was inspired by the relationships observed between plants, insects and other organisms. Before joining MNL, Ridge acquired a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Environmental studies, as well as certifications in Wildland Fire Management, Wetland Delineation, and Bee Keeping.

Photo credits: Top to bottom: Genevieve Pugesek / Xerces Society; Ridge Campbell

International Monarch Monitoring Blitz
2025-07-25 - 2025-08-03
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 25 July to 3 August 2025!
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

United States:

Journey North
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper

Media Release:

English: Support Monarch Butterfly Conservation
Español: Conservación de la mariposa monarca
Français : Appuyez la conservation du monarque

Social Media Posts:

English: Facebook, Instagram
Español: Facebook, Instagram
Français: Facebook, Instagram

Monarchs and Pesticides: Understanding the Risks, Creating High-Quality Habitat
2025-07-31 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
Pesticides are a hidden hazard in many monarch conservation efforts, whether in working lands, parks, backyards, or monarch overwintering groves. Residues in milkweed and nectar plants can degrade habitat quality and put monarchs at risk. This webinar will unpack the latest science on pesticide contamination in habitat and explore how these chemicals affect butterflies directly and indirectly. Join Emily May, Agricultural Conservation Lead with the Xerces Pesticide Reduction Program, to discuss practical steps land managers, farmers, and gardeners can take to reduce exposure and support the creation of high-quality habitat for monarchs.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Emily May – Agricultural Conservation Lead, Pesticide Program – Xerces Society
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.

National Farmers Market Week
2025-08-03 - 2025-08-09 | Online
National Farmers Market Week (NFMW) is August 3-9, 2025! Now in its 26th year, this annual celebration highlights the vital role farmers markets play in our nation’s food system. With 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

The State of the Bees
2025-08-14 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
How are U.S. bee species faring in light of the major threats they are facing? What more do we need to know to protect them? There are over 3,600 species of bees in the United States, but we only know the conservation status of about 20% of those species. This makes it difficult to make decisions about how to prioritize bee conservation. Join Saff Killingsworth, Xerces Endangered Species Conservation Biologist and State of the Bees Initiative, to discuss how conservation biologists decide which bees are imperiled and which bees are safe, highlight some interesting bees of conservation concern, and talk about the Xerces Society’s effort to understand the conservation status of all U.S. bee species.
This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces Society YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Saff Killingsworth – Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, State of the Bees Initiative – Xerces Society
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.

Great Southeast Pollinator Census
2025-08-22 - 2025-08-23
This project is easy enough for anyone to learn some basic entomology and participate in while at the same time ensure that useful data is generated for conservationists.
The three goals of the project are:
1. To create sustainable pollinator habitat by educating gardeners about using plants that provide nutrition for our pollinators while handling summer droughts and do not have disease or pest insect pressure.
2. To increase the entomological literacy of citizens. The project wants students to go from “oooo, it’s a bug” to “look at the tarsal claw on that bee!”
3. To generate useful data about our pollinator populations to spot trends and see how pollinator populations are affected by weather and how honey bees influence native bee populations.

Join the count!

Interested in joining the count this year? Here’s how:

Sign up for the newsletter to get the latest in your inbox
Prepare for the count days on August 22nd and 23th

Download the printable Counting Sheet ( Guia de Conteo)
Check out the Insect Counting & Identification Guide ( Conteo de Insectos y Guia de Identificacion)
Review the corresponding pamphlet.

Join the Southeast Pollinator Census Facebook page and follow on instagram @SoutheastPollinators.
View The Pollinator Census—How-To and History

https://youtu.be/LNgrSzuGRQc

View The Pollinator Census—Educators and Non-Profits

https://youtu.be/QFmmuH_tH3M

For specific information on North Carolina counting

https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/gsepcinnc

Upload your counts to the website. The portal to upload counts will open early on August 22nd.

Click here to join the count!

Parks for Pollinators Bioblitz
2025-09-01 - 2025-09-30
Sign Up to Host a Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz
During September 2025, NRPA is hosting its 7th annual Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz again. Hosting a Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz event allows your community to explore your community, engage in environmental issues, and see how many pollinators and pollinator-friendly plants they can find — while providing you information to help manage spaces with biodiversity in mind.
Sign up now to host your own BioBlitz this September and receive all the materials you need for a successful event! Now including social media and flyers in both English and Spanish. And by hosting an event – you are entered into winning one of three $1,000 prizes or one of three gardening prize packs from Scotts Miracle-Gro to help you further your efforts with native habitat and pollinator protection strategies.
Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz | National Recreation and Park Association (nrpa.org)

Bitter Nectar, Toxic Pollen: Pollinators and Plant Chemicals
2025-09-11 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
Bees and other pollinators visit flowers to forage for their food. Floral nectar supplies carbohydrates, and for bees, pollen is a critical protein source necessary to producing offspring. But pollinators also encounter a range of plant chemicals at flowers, some of them potent toxins like nicotine and cardiac glycosides. Why do flowers invest pollinator rewards with chemicals that might poison them? And how do pollinators cope with these chemicals? In this talk, Leif Richardson, Xerces Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, will dive into the fascinating world of plant chemical ecology, and share how these chemicals can both harm and heal their consumers.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Leif Richardson – Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, California Bumble Bee Atlas – Xerces Society
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.

Buzzing with Biodiversity: A Celebration of the Incredible Work of Bee City & Bee Campus Affiliates
2025-09-30 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 us for a tour of our 2024 renewal report: Buzzing with Biodiversity! So many interesting, fun, and effective pollinator conservation projects were shared in this year’s Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA renewal reports. From pollinator festivals to weed wrangles, we’ll be celebrating their great work — and sharing some beautiful bee photos! We think you will find inspiration for your own community’s pollinator conservation and pesticide reduction work.
This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces Society YouTube channel on the Bee City USA Playlist. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.
Speaker

Laura Rost
National Coordinator
Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA

Photo credits:
Top (L to R): Bee Campus – University of Texas at Dallas; University of California Davis. Bottom (L to R): Bee City – Holly Ridge, NC; Bee City – Hawthorn Woods, IL.

The Secret Lives of Bumble Bees: Nesting and Overwintering
2025-10-02 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

When creating habitat for bumble bees, we need to provide them with places to nest and overwinter. But where do bumble bees nest? Where do they spend the winter? And how do you figure out best management practices for bumble bees if their nests and overwintering sites are almost impossible to find? Join Genevieve Pugesek, Xerces Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, to discuss bumble bee nesting and overwintering ecology, how land management can impact nesting and overwintering bumble bees, and what you can do to help scientists learn more about bumble bee habitat needs.
This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces Society YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Genevieve Pugesek – Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Midwest Bumble Bee Atlas – Xerces Society
To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact outreach@xerces.org.
