My name is Laura Rost and I am pleased to be the Xerces Society’s new Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA coordinator. I’m honored to continue the amazing work of both Molly Martin and our inimitable Bee City USA founder, Phyllis Stiles. We have many exciting projects in the works for 2022: new trainings, publications, and much more. I look forward to helping our affiliates develop their wonderful projects!

You may know me already, I have been with the Xerces Society since 2014, previously working on the Membership team. Before Xerces, I worked for environmental groups on issues ranging from water resources to green building. I love helping people take positive action in their community. I have a BS in Environmental Studies and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Southern Oregon University—the first Bee Campus USA! I grew up marching in Butterfly Parades in Pacific Grove, CA, and volunteering at wetland restoration projects across Beaverton, OR.

In my free time, I like to take on too many hobbies: I enjoy woodcarving, collecting seeds and rockhounding around the Pacific Northwest. The next hobbies on my list are mastering the guitar and chainsaw carving.