National Pollinator Week

In celebration of National Pollinator Week, we share with you an article from the Xerces Society.

IT’S TIME TO BRING BACK THE POLLINATORS!

Next week (June 16 to 22) is National Pollinator Week, during which organizations across North America will be presenting all manner of events that celebrate pollinators.

But for Xerces’ staff, every week is pollinator week. We work hard week in, week out to protect bees, butterflies, and other important insects. Our pollinator conservation program is now the largest in the world, with 11 people focused on creating habitat, providing technical support to agencies and landowners, and doing outreach about pollinating insects. We also have staff from our endangered species program working to save disappearing bumble bees and butterflies, and our pesticide program has been deeply involved in efforts to protect bees and other pollinators. Below are some of the things that we have achieved over the last few years, as well as an events featuring Xerces staff.

In the week ahead, we hope that you will pause to consider what you can do to help pollinators. Pollinator conservation is not restricted to a distant wilderness or isolated reserve. It is a cause in which we all can take part. Indeed, in which we all must take a part because pollinators are fundamental to the health of our environment, our farms, our gardens, and — ultimately — ourselves. We invite you to join in the effort to Bring Back the Pollinators!

A few highlights of what Xerces has achieved over the last few years:

• The restoration or protection of pollinator habitat on over 120,000 acres of U.S. farmland, with thousands more habitat acres in preparation.

• We trained over 38,000 people in all 50 states, as well as researchers and rural development professionals in India and Europe.

• Project Milkweed launched seed production for native milkweed species in California, Arizona, New Mexico, the Great Basin, Texas, and Florida, resulting in the production of more than 35 million milkweed seeds.

• The Bring Back the Pollinators campaign has engaged thousands of people in pollinator conservation. Over 2,500 people from all 50 U.S. states have signed the pollinator protection pledge, committing to protect over 29,000 acres for the benefit of pollinators.

• Bumble Bee Watch, a large scale citizen science project to track and conserve North America’s bumble bees was launched.

• Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly was protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

• We are working with local residents and elected officials across the country to reduce risk from pesticide use and improve regulation.

• Attracting Native Pollinators has sold more than 45,000 copies and recently went into its fourth printing.

• We published the science reports Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees? and Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Agriculturally Important Beneficial Insects.

• We created brochures such as Protecting Bees from Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Your Garden and a new series of regional pollinator-friendly plant lists, and developed pollinator habitat installation guides for every region of the country.

Events featuring Xerces staff:

• Sunday, June 22; Pollination Celebration at Sauvie Island Center, 13901 NW Howell Park Rd, Portland OR