Thanks to support from Northeast SARE, we are able to offer 30 scholarships on a first-come first-served basis.
Registration $45 per person thereafter and discounted registration is available to NRCS personnel for $35 per person.
Lunch is not included. Please plan on bringing a sack lunch with you to the course.
Canceled registrations can be refunded until May 7, 2012.
This Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course is made possible with the support of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Additional support for this training is provided by the following: CS Fund, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, Sarah K. de Coizart Article TENTH Perpetual Charitable Trust, Turner Foundation, and Xerces Society members.
Special thanks to Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association for generously hosting this course.
Bumble bee foraging on blackberry. Photo by Eric Mader, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course
Unity, Maine
May 15, 2012
9:00 am - 4:00 pm EDT
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. The course will include both classroom and field training components.
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.
The Xerces Society is offering similar Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Courses across the country. Visit our online events page to view up-to-date short course information. If you would like to receive announcements about upcoming short courses, please email shortcourses@xerces.org. Be sure to include the following information: name, affiliation, mailing address, phone number, and the state(s) for which you would like to receive announcements.
SHORT COURSE TRAINING SKILLS AND OBJECTIVES
COURSE AGENDA
Module 1 (9:00 am - 10:00 am) Introduction
Module 2 (10:00 am - 10:45 am) Basic Bee and Butterfly Biology
Break (10:45 am - 11:00 am)
Module 3 (11:00 am - 11:45 pm) Bee-Friendly Farming
Module 4 (11:45 am - 12:30 pm) Habitat Restoration
Lunch (12:30 pm - 1:15 pm)
Module 5 (1:15 pm - 2:45 pm) Open Laboratory
Module 6 (2:45 pm - 3:15 pm) Current Farm Bill Provisions
Module 7 (3:15 pm - 3:30 pm) Additional Resources
Module 8 (3:30 pm - 4:00 pm) Wrap Up
INSTRUCTORS
Eric Mader – Assistant Pollinator Program Director
Eric works to raise awareness of native pollinator conservation techniques among growers and government agencies. His previous work includes commercial beekeeping and crop consulting for the native seed industry where he provided weekly insect and disease scouting on hundreds of plant species grown for prairie restoration efforts. He is 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 a new release Managing Alternative Pollinators: A Handbook for Beekeepers, Growers and Conservationists.
GUEST SPEAKER
Dr. Frank Drummond, Professor of Insect Ecology and Insect Pest Management, School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine.
ABOUT THE XERCES SOCIETY
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.