Intended Audience

This training is intended for agency staff, conservation professionals, land managers, landowners/operators/producers. 
Cost 

This is a free training.

Additional Details

Lunch will not be provided; please plan to bring a cold packed lunch, water and the supplies you'll need to be in the field for 2-3 hours, such as sunscreen, hat, sturdy walking shoes, etc.

COVID-19 PROTOCOL

We recognize that every activity which involves proximity to another person entails risk of contracting the coronavirus. Participants will be adequately spaced during the indoor portion of this workshop; masks are encouraged for fully vaccinated people and required for unvaccinated people. During the outdoor portion, physical distancing will be possible most of the time, masks are encouraged elsewise. Disposable masks & hand sanitizer will be provided. Thank you for your cooperation.

 

When

Thursday, August 18th, 2022 
8:30 AM to 2:00 PM CT
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Where

Schramm Education Center
21502 W Hwy 31
Gretna, NE 68028

A vehicle park permit is not required in the Schramm Education Center parking lot.  Please enter the building through the classroom entrance located next to the large Nebraska Game and Parks logo on the west side of the building. 

 

 

 


Registration Contact

Karina Contreras, The Xerces Society
karina.contreras@xerces.org

Workshop Contacts

Katie Lamke, The Xerces Society
(402) 263-0112
rae@xerces.org

Rae Ann Powers, The Xerces Society
(402) 256-5252
raeann.powers@xerces.org

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the Schramm Education Center for hosting the event, and to our partners for their collaboration & support.

About the Xerces Society

The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is a trusted source for science-based information and advice. We collaborate with people and institutions at all levels and our work to protect pollinators encompasses all landscapes. Our team draws together experts from the fields of habitat restoration, entomology, botany, and conservation biology with a single focus—protecting the life that sustains us. To learn more about our work, visit www.xerces.org.

Photo Credit

Side bar photo: Katie Lamke/Xerces Society

HABITAT MANAGEMENT FOR BUMBLE BEES IN NEBRASKA

Schramm Education Center
Gretna, Nebraska
Thursday, August 18th, 2022
8:30 AM - 2:00 PM Central Time 

Join Xerces staff for a day long workshop focused on recommended practices for managing lands specifically for the conservation of bumble bees in Nebraska.


Space is limited, so register today!

This day long workshop is focused on recommended practices for managing lands specifically for the conservation of bumble bees in Nebraska. Participants will spend half the day indoors learning about bumble bee ecology and identification, as well as bumble bee friendly management guidelines for grazing, prescribed fire, haying/mowing, and invasive weed control. We will spend the rest of day in the field, capturing and identifying bumble bees (with any luck), observing habitats with different management strategies, identifying high value bumble bee plants, and identifying bumble bee habitat. Participants will receive a packet of information covered in the workshop.

COURSE AGENDA

8:30 AM:  Check-In and Coffee

9:00-9:15 AM: Introductions

9:15-9:45 AM:  Module 1 - Bumble Bee Ecology

9:50-10:50 AM: Module 2 - Regional Bumble Bee Identification, indoor & outdoor component

11:00-11:45 AM: Management Recommendations for Bumble Bees in Nebraska

11:45 AM-12:30 PM:  Lunch

12:30-2:00 PM:  Field Sessions                                                                                                           

 -Site Management: Krista Lang, NPLT

 -Bumble Bee Identification and Plant Identification

The afternoon will include a field trip to nearby habitat where we will discuss bumble bee ID and survey techniques in more detail, while we sample the local area for foraging bumble bees. Please bring a bagged lunch and a reusable bottle for water.   

WHAT TO BRING: 

Please bring a cold packed lunch, coffee will be offered in the morning. Bring the supplies you'll need to be in the field for 2-3 hours:

-sunscreen                                                                                                                                                -hat                                                                                                                                                            -water                                                                                                                                                        -sturdy walking shoes                                                                                                                              -etc.

LOCATION DETAILS:

Schramm Education Center                                                                                                                    21502 W Hwy 31                                                                                                                          Gretna, NE 68028

 Driving Directions:

  • Take I-80 to exit 432 (Gretna/Nebraska Crossing Outlets)
  • Drive south on Hwy 31 approximately five miles. 

Visitor Parking & Entry:

The Schramm Education Center is a large brown and stone building, with a large parking lot.  A vehicle park permit is not required in the Schramm Education Center
parking lot.

 Please enter the building through the classroom entrance, which is located
next to the large Nebraska Game and Parks logo on the west side of the building.


INSTRUCTORS

Katie Lamke, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, The Xerces Society 
Katie joined the Xerces Society in 2019 to work on bumble bee conservation initiatives. Based in the Midwest, her main role is to coordinate and engage people in community science projects—the Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas and the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas— that help track and conserve bumble bees. Katie earned a bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University (Environmental Biology) and a master's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Entomology), where she focused on wild bee diversity and their floral associations within Tallgrass prairies. Katie has both a skillset and passion for identifying wild bees that has been professionally developed for species in the Northern Plains. She is enthusiastic about pollinator ecology and is committed to raising awareness about the conservation of wild bees.

Rae Ann Powers, Farm Bill Pollinator Conservation Planner, The 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.

Krista Lang, Wildlife Biologist, Northern Prairies Land Trust 
Krista Lang grew up in the forests of western Oregon. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2006 with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science. After various field jobs, she went on to pursue a M.S. in Wildlife Biology from Iowa State University,  finishing in 2010. She moved to southeast Nebraska with her husband and started working for NPLT in early 2011 doing oak woodland restoration at Indian Cave State Park. She now uses her restoration knowledge from the park to help private landowners all across southeast Nebraska that are interested in restoring oak woodlands on their private properties.

 

PARTNERS

This event is funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust. Thank you!

        University of NE logo