The Xerces Society's Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course will be offered in 36 states over the next three years. Funding for this effort has been provided through three grants from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education's (SARE) Professional Development Program.
 
The current Farm Bill makes pollinators and their habitat a conservation priority for USDA land managers and conservationists. The Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course is a first-of-its-kind training on those Farm Bill provisions. It also provides instruction on how to translate these provisions into real world conservation efforts.

 
The Short Course is an intensive, day-long training designed to 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. It has already been conducted in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oregon, and Missouri.
 
Short Course topics include the basic principles of pollinator biology, the economics of insect pollination, recognizing native bee species, and assessment of pollinator habitat. Advanced modules will cover farm management practices for pollinator protection, the development of habitat enhancements (including selecting appropriate plants) and using Farm Bill conservation programs to help farmers restore habitat. An overview of additional funding sources and technical support available to land managers will also be provided. Throughout the workshop these training modules are illustrated by real case studies of pollinator conservation efforts across the country, and will be supported by field observations.
 
With the support of North Central, Northeastern and Western SARE, the Xerces Society will offer the Short Course in New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, North Dakota, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah.
Additional Short Courses (not funded by SARE) are also planned for Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, and Missouri where earlier Courses have already been held.
 
REGISTRATION
To register please visit the Events section of the Xerces Society website.
 
ABOUT THE XERCES SOCIETY
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international non-profit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Launched in 1996, the Xerces Society's Pollinator Conservation Program works with leading native pollinator ecologists to translate the latest research findings into on-the-ground conservation. Our Pollinator Conservation Resource Center provides access to all one needs to complete a pollinator conservation project in any region of the United States.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact Eric Mader [email protected], National Pollinator Outreach Coordinator, The Xerces Society, 503-232-6639
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