Bee City and Bee Campus Renewal Reports and Fees Due
2024-02-29 | 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!

Hampton, VA: "The Buzz on Bees" Lunch 'n Learn
2024-03-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online
A beginner’s guide to attracting pollinators year after year by Marty Wood, Bee City USA – Hampton, VA. This is the first zoom lunch and learn from the Hampton, VA Bee City USA team. Join us each month for another informative and entertaining webinar. Free event!

Sustainable Norcross GA Workshop #2: What To Plant?
2024-03-16 10:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Norcross GA, City Hall, Norcross, GA, United States
Ready to cultivate a vibrant garden but unsure where to start? Join our workshop for insights on selecting the perfect plants and where to find them. Enjoy a guest speaker’s expertise and an interactive presentation highlighting native and non-native pollinator-friendly options. Secure your spot at this fun, educational and sustainable event by clicking the button above. Let’s sow the seeds of knowledge together!

In The Life Of The Bumble Bee Queen (And The Cuckoo Too!)
2024-03-28 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This event will be recorded and posted to: The Xerces Youtube Channel.

Join Rich Hatfield, Xerces Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, to take a deep dive into the reproductive females of bumble bees, including cuckoo bumble bees. We’ll primarily look at the solitary phase of the lifecycle, including what is known about where and how they hibernate, and what we know about what it takes to establish a nest and how they select a site. We’ll likely have as many questions as answers in this webinar, but please join us for an exploration into the lesser known aspects of bumble bee ecology.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Rich Hatfield – Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Bumble Bee Conservation Lead – 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.

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: Pacific Northwest
2024-04-10 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Corin Pease, Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Specialist for a short presentation 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 Idaho, Oregon, Northern California, Western Montana, and Washington.
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.
Corin Pease
NW Pollinator Conservation Specialist
Partner Biologist, NRCS
The Xerces Society
Corin provides technical assistance to growers and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Planners on pollinator and natural enemy conservation on farms in the Pacific Northwest. He holds a master’s degree in integrated pest management and a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology from the University of California–Davis. Corin’s experience spans agriculture, entomology, and integrated pest management (IPM). As a researcher, Corin has studied insects associated with native hedgerows, conservation biological control, and pest management in tomatoes, grapes, almonds, and strawberries in California. Before coming to Xerces, Corin was a crop consultant in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, advising berry growers on pest management and crop nutrition.

Hampton, VA: Bats!
2024-04-10 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Did you know there are 17 recorded species of Bats here in Virginia? Bats are great neighbors to have around the house. One little brown bat has been documented eating upwards of 600 mosquitoes in one hour! Imagine what several individuals flying around in your yard could do! Join us to learn more about these misunderstood creatures.
Presented by Michelle Schopp, the Community Outreach Coordinator for Wild Birds Unlimited in Yorktown, Virginia.
Email HCCC@Hampton.gov to register!

*RESCHEDULED* Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: California, Nevada & Utah
2024-05-01 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Isis Howard, Xerces Society’s Endangered Species Conservation Biologist in Western Monarch Community Science for a short presentation on Community Science for Monarch Conservation 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 California, Nevada & Utah.
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.
Isis Howard
Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Western Monarch Community Science
The 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.

Hampton, VA: Enchanting Blooms and Wings lunch 'n learn!
2024-05-15 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Have you wondered about creating a bug, butterfly or fairy house? Join Bee City USA-Hampton, VA team member April as she shares just how easy and fun it can be to build one or more and incorporate them into your garden.

World Bee Day!
2024-05-20
To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day. The goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators.

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: South Central Region﻿
2024-05-22 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Ray Moranz, Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Specialist, for a short presentation on Monarchs and the Effort to Find Monarch Nectar Plants in the South Central U.S., 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 Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, or Texas.
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.
Ray Moranz
Pollinator Conservation Specialist, NRCS Partner Biologist, Central Region
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.

In The Life of Nocturnal Pollinators
2024-05-23 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Join Xerces pollinator conservation biologist Emily May to learn more about the pollinators that come out to work as others turn in for the evening. Moths, flies, beetles, and other dusk and night-time pollinators can play important roles in pollinating wild and managed plants. Emily will talk about the ecology, diversity, and importance of these hidden pollinators, and how we can best support them in our gardens and communities.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Emily May – Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Agricultural Lead – 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.

Do Mosquito Control Programs Make You Safer?
2024-05-23 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Denver) | Zoom
As scientists raise the alarm about the precipitous decline of insects, the opposite trend is occurring with mosquitoes as populations are increasing despite aggressive control measures. During the past few years in Colorado, West Nile virus infection in mosquitoes has been rising, resulting in increasing deaths from West Nile virus that are reaching levels that we haven’t seen since the 2003 epidemic.
The City of Boulder hasn’t had the high levels of West Nile virus infection in mosquitoes that surrounding areas are experiencing. Why is there a difference? This webinar will describe the City of Boulder’s approach for managing mosquitoes by managing ecosystems and share the scientific rationale for why this approach is important, not only to reduce disease risk to people, but to have a positive impact on wetland insects, birds, amphibians, and overall ecosystem health.
Rella Abernathy, Ph.D., is a senior ecologist for the Climate Initiatives Department’s Nature-Based Climate Solutions team at the City of Boulder. Rella’s academic background is in insect physiology and plant/insect interactions. She worked at the EPA Region 10 pesticide program on pesticide alternatives and pesticide reduction policy. Over the last 15 years, she’s managed the City of Boulder’s Integrated Pest Management program which is centered on an ecosystems management approach. Rella’s current role is developing programs and policies that build and expand climate-resilient landscapes in partnership with researchers, community members, NGO’s, and others to equitably and inclusively implement nature-based climate solutions that conserve biodiversity and protect human health.
Register here today!
Photo Credit: Katja Schulz/ Flickr

Neonics and Bees
2024-06-12 12:00 - 12:45 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Join us for this informative Lunch ‘n Learn from Bee City USA-Hampton’s Dr. Barb Abraham! Dr. Abraham will brief discuss pesticides vs. insecticides, then follow up on Neonicotinoids (neonics), since those are the most widely used insecticides today and very dangerous to bees. Register via the JotForm link below!

Bee City USA - Hendersonville NC - A Guided Walk to Celebrate Pollinator Week
2024-06-15 09:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York) | Black Bear Coffee Co., 318 N. Main Street, Hendersonville, NC, United States
From landscaped pollinator beds surrounding the Bee Mural in the Azalea parking lot to flower-filled hanging baskets and pollinator-friendly trees, shrubs, and grasses along Main Street to adjoining neighborhood pollinator gardens, pollinators are thoughtfully supported throughout downtown Hendersonville. Join a guided stroll to explore and learn about urban pollinator gardening, created as part of Hendersonville’s Bee City USA program. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 15, at 9 a.m. Meet Mark Stierwalt, Hendersonville’s Public Works Superintendent, in front of Black Bear Coffee Co., 318 N. Main Street, for the 90-minute walk to celebrate Pollinator Week.
Open to the public at no charge, the walk is sponsored by Hendersonville Tree Board. The event will be cancelled in case of inclement weather, which will be announced on the City’s website at www.hendersonvillenc.gov. To learn more about Hendersonville Tree Board and its projects, visit the webpage at http://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/tree-board.

Pollinator Week!
2024-06-17 - 2024-06-22
Pollinator Week is an annual celebration in support of pollinator health. It is a time to raise awareness for pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them. The great thing about Pollinator Week is that you can celebrate and get involved any way you like! Popular events include planting for pollinators, hosting garden tours, participating in online bee and butterfly ID workshops, and so much more.

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
