Pollinator Conservation Short Course

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Big Flats Plant Materials Center

Big Flats, New York
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
9:00 am - 4:30 pm EST

Learn how to attract native pollinators to fields, farms, and orchards!

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This full day workshop will focus on concepts around protecting and enhancing populations of pollinators, especially bees, in agricultural landscapes. The course will provide an overview of bee natural history and farm practices that support pollinators, such as protecting and creating habitat, modified horticultural practices, and advice on how to manage pests while protecting pollinators. In addition to receiving the latest cutting edge scientific findings, course participants will conduct a field tour to practice identifying bees and their habitat.

Introductory topics include the principles of pollinator biology and integrated crop pollination, 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.

*Continuing Education Credits Available*
Certified Crop Adviser (5 CEUs)

Short Course Training Skills & Objectives

This workshop will cover:

• Ability to identify ways of increasing and enhancing pollinator diversity on the land
• Knowledge of the current best management practices that minimize land-use impacts on pollinators
• Ability to identify bees and distinguish them from other insects
• Knowledge of the economics of insect-pollinated crops, and the effects of pollinator decline
• Knowledge of the current Farm Bill pollinator conservation provisions and how to implement those provisions through USDA programs such as EQIP, CSP, and CRP
• Ability to assess pollinator habitat and to identify habitat deficiencies
• Ability to make recommendations to farmers and land managers that conserve pollinators (including subjects such as roadside management, tillage, pesticide use, burning, grazing, and cover cropping)
• Ability to design and implement habitat improvements, such as native plant restoration and nest site enhancements
• Ability to incorporate pollinators into land-management or policy decisions

Course Agenda

Welcome and Announcements 

Module 1 - Introduction and Importance of Pollinator Conservation

• Overview of pollinator diversity
• Pollination biology and the role of native bees in crop production
• The status of pollinator populations
• Integrated crop pollination

Module 2 - Basic Bee Biology

• Recognizing native bees and other pollinators
• General overview of bee biology and identification
• Pollinator habitat needs – foraging and nesting habitat

Break

Module 3 - Habitat Restoration 

• Habitat planning and design considerations
• Plant selection
• Site preparation and planting techniques for woody and herbaceous plants
• Habitat case studies and conservation practices that support pollinators (e.g. wildflower plantings, buffers, windbreaks, cover crops, field borders, hedgerows, protecting nest sites, etc.)

Lunch (Bring you own lunch) 

Module 3 – Habitat Restoration (continued) (Shawnna Clark) 

• Maintaining Pollinator Habitat
• Ordering Seeding and Seeding Rates
• Seedling ID of Common Northeast Wildflowers and Common Weeds

Module 4 - Field Activity and Demonstration 

• Tour and discussion of NY Plant Materials Center pollinator habitat and conservation plants field trials
  • Observe large scale pollinator habitat plantings after 5 years of growth.
  • Wildflower Mixes seeded at 3 different dates, planted 2015
  • Buckwheat smother crop seeding (approximately 1.5 acres)
  • NY Pollinator Habitat Mix and 2 Commercially Available Mixes Seeded in the Spring after Fall Planted Cover Crops
  • Introduction to Xerces’ Pollinator Habitat Assessment Guide
  • Field observation of pollinators

Break 

Module 5 - Farm Bill Provisions for Pollinators  (Mallory Barrow)

Module 6 - Bee-Friendly Farming

• Best management practices for pollinator protection
• Mitigating pesticide damage
• IPM and pollinator protection

Wrap-up, Q&A, additional resources, and course evaluations 

 

INSTRUCTOR

Kelly Gill – Pollinator Conservation Specialist - Northeast / Mid-Atlantic Region
Kelly is the Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions for the Xerces Society and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. A Pennsylvania native, Kelly recently completed her Master’s Degree in Entomology at Iowa State University. There, she conducted small plot and farm scale research, collaborating with organic and conventional farmers, on the development of best practices for conserving beneficial insects in agricultural landscapes.

GUEST SPEAKERS

Shawnna Clark – Manager/Agronomist, USDA NRCS Big Flats Plant Materials Center
Shawnna has been the Manager/Agronomist at the Big Flats Plant Materials Center since August 2016. Before this, she was the Natural Resources Specialist, at the same facility for 9 years. During her tenure at the PMC she was the lead researcher for many studies including establishing and maintaining pollinator habitat, Northeastern native wildflowers, and cover crops/soil health. She has published numerous popular articles and guides, including A Comprehensive Guide of Cover Crop Species Used in the Northeast United States. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in Plant Ecology and obtained her Master’s Degree in Natural Resources Management/GIS from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2010.

Mallory Barrow – Biological Science Technician, USDA NRCS Big Flats Plant Materials Center
Mallory has been the biological science technician at the BFPMC since August 2016. The prior year she worked as a Soil Conservation Technician in the Albion USDA NRCS field office. She has a wide variety of experiences including wildlife biology, large river ecology, wetland restoration, and work as an Environmental Protection Specialist under the Bureau of Water at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. She received her B.S. in Biology from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 2011 and her M.A. in Environmental Studies Planning and Management from the University of Illinois in 2015.

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.

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