The content of this course is tailored to the needs of NRCS, SWCD, Cooperative Extension, and state department of agriculture employees as well as crop consultants, natural resource specialists, non-governmental conservation organization staff, and producers of bee-pollinated crops.
For questions regarding registration:
Ashley Minnerath
The Xerces Society
shortcourses@xerces.org
(855) 232-6639
Local contact:
Pamela Pavek
USDA NRCS Pullman Plant Materials Center
(509) 335-6894
pamela.pavek@wa.usda.gov
Thanks to Western SARE, registration is free for the first 15 people. Additional seats are available for $30. Lunch is not included. Please plan on bringing a sack lunch with you to the course.
Hurry, registration closes after 60 people!
Canceled registrations can be refunded until June 30, 2011.
USDA NRCS Pullman Plant Materials Center
Pullman, WA 99165
The Plant Materials Center is located on the Northeast corner of the Intersection of Airport Road and Highway 270
This Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course is made possible with the support of Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Additional support for this training is provided by the following: CS Fund, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, Dudley Foundation, Turner Foundation, Whole Systems Foundation, and Xerces Society members.
Special thanks to the USDA NRCS Pullman Plant Materials Center for helping to make this course possible.
By Paul Jepson, Oregon State University.
Pullman, Washington
July 6, 2011
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Pollinators are essential to our environment. The ecological service they provide is necessary for the reproduction of nearly 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants and is fundamental to agriculture and natural ecosystems. More than two-thirds of the world’s crop species are dependent on pollination, with an annual estimated value of $18 to $27 billion in the United States alone. Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems, since their activities are ultimately responsible for the seeds and fruits that feed everything from songbirds to black bears. Conservation of pollinating insects is critically important to preserving both wider biodiversity as well as agriculture.
In many places, however, this essential service is at risk. In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences released the report Status of Pollinators in North America, which called attention to the decline of pollinators. The report urged agencies and organizations to increase awareness and protect pollinator habitat.
The Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course was developed to address this need. This day long Short Course will equip conservationists, land managers, farm educators, and agricultural professionals with the latest science-based approaches to increasing crop security and reversing the trend of pollinator decline, especially in heavily managed agricultural landscapes.
Introductory topics include the principles of pollinator biology, the economics of insect pollination, basic bee field identification, and evaluating pollinator habitat. Advanced modules will cover land management practices for pollinator protection, pollinator habitat restoration, incorporating pollinator conservation into federal conservation programs, selection of plants for pollinator enhancement sites, management of natural landscapes, and financial and technical resources to support these efforts. Throughout the short course these training modules are illustrated by case studies of pollinator conservation efforts across the country.
Registrants will receive the Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Toolkit which includes Xerces’ latest book, Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies, as well as habitat management guidelines and relevant USDA-NRCS and Extension publications.
Thanks to support from Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, registration is free for the first 15 people. Additional seats are available for $30. Lunch is not included. Please plan on bringing a sack lunch with you to the course.
Canceled registrations can be refunded until June 30, 2011.
This course is the one of many being offered during the 2011 season. The Xerces Society will also be hosting similar courses in the following states: Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah. Visit our events page to view up-to-date short course information.
SHORT COURSE TRAINING SKILLS AND OBJECTIVES
COURSE AGENDA
Module 1 Introduction
Module 2 Basic Bee Biology
Module 3 Bee-Friendly Farming
Module 4 Habitat Restoration
Module 5 Current Farm Bill Provisions
Module 6 Open Laboratory
Module 7 Additional Resources
Module 8 Wrap Up
INSTRUCTOR BIO
Eric Mader works to raise awareness of native pollinator conservation techniques among growers and government agencies as the Assistant Pollinator Program Director with The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. He is also an Assistant Extension Professor at the University of Minnesota's Department of Entomology, and has authored several books and government management plans for native pollinators. He most recently co-authored Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies and Managing Alternative Pollinators: A Handbook for Beekeepers, Growers, and Conservationist. Contact: eric@xerces.org
ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS
Pamela Pavek is an Agronomist with the USDA NRCS Pullman Plant Materials Center. She has conducted research on the selection, establishment, and management of native forbs for pollinator habitat. She co-authored the NRCS Technical Note: Plants for Pollinators in the Inland Northwest, established a 2.0 acre Pollinator Habitat Demonstration Planting at the Plant Materials Center, and writes a quarterly enewsletter, The Sweep Net, to inform NRCS employees about pollinator research and activities. Pamela has worked as a Soil Conservationist at two NRCS Field Offices in Idaho, and served as an agricultural extension volunteer with the Peace Corps in Tanzania, East Africa, where she taught villagers how to build and manage honey bee hives. Contact: pamela.pavek@wa.usda.gov
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. The Society's Pollinator Conservation Program was launched in 1996, and works with leading native pollinator ecologists to translate the latest research findings into on-the-ground conservation. More information about the Xerces Society is available at www.xerces.org