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.
Ashley Minnerath
The Xerces Society
shortcourses@xerces.org
(855) 232-6639 ext. 102
Thanks to Dr. Rachael Winfree and USDA-NRCS for making this course affordable to the public.
Registration is $45 per person and includes lunch.
Canceled registrations can be refunded until April 20th, 2012.
For NRCS personnel registration, please contact:
Jolie Goldenetz-Dollar
Pollinator Habitat Restoration Specialist
(609) 465-5901
jolie@xerces.org or
This Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course is made possible with the support of a USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service's Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) awarded to Dr. Rachael Winfree of Rutgers University. Additional support for this training is provided by the following: Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, CS Fund, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, Sarah K. de Coizart Article TENTH Perpetual Charitable Trust, Turner Foundation, and Xerces Society members.
Special thanks to Cape-Atlantic Conservation District, North Jersey Resource & Development, New Jersey NRCS, Rutgers University, and USDA-NRCS Cape May Plant Materials Center for helping to make this course possible.
Matthew Shepherd, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Pittstown, New Jersey
April 27, 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 more than 85 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 that 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 Short Course 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 am) 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
INSTRUCTOR BIO
Jolie Goldenetz Dollar – Pollinator Habitat Restoration Specialist, Mid-Atlantic Region
Jolie joined the Xerces Society in 2011. She provides technical support and training to the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, other conservation agencies, and farmers on pollinator conservation and native plant restoration. One of her goals is to advance the general public’s awareness of the importance of native pollinators to agriculture and wildlife conservation. Jolie holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Agricultural Development from University of California at Davis, a Master’s degree in Natural Resources from University of Arizona, and a Doctorate degree in Wildlife Studies from Mississippi State University. Additionally, Jolie has worked for the nonprofits Native Seeds/SEARCH in Arizona and Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO) in Florida and Haiti. Her university research and non-profit work have largely focused on the conservation of under-utilized cultivated plants and habitat conservation for native pollinators. In addition to gardening and wildlife watching, Jolie enjoys cycling and hiking with her husband.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Dr. Rachael Winfree, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University
Molly MacLeod, Ph.D. student, Rutgers University
Tim Dunne, State Resource Conservationist, New Jersey USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
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