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how you can help

how you can help

Description

There are many ways to support invertebrate conservation: From advocacy and activism, to attaining Bee Better Certification (for farmers) or Bee City or Bee Campus USA affiliate status (for communities), from creating pollinator habitat on your property, to volunteering. All of your contributions matter; together, even small actions add up to making a big difference. We want to thank you for all that you do to support "the little things that run the world."

 

Monarchs clustering on branch at overwintering site in Mexico
The Power of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Join our December Fundraising Challenge!
Bumble bee nectaring on a field of flowers with mountains in the background
3 Ways to Host a Fundraiser for the Xerces Society
Firefly in a backyard
Protecting Invertebrates – Even When We Can’t See Them
Community campaign to stop mosquito spraying to protect wildlife
These Bee-Safe Communities are Welcoming Back Pollinators
Monarch caterpillars on milkweed
Looking for Pollinator-Safe Plants? Talk to Your Nursery
Sweat bee on coneflower in home garden
Tips for Pollinator-Safe Gardening
Bumble bee on California poppy flower
Top 7 Reasons to Stop Pesticide Use at Home
Monarch caterpillar on narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis). (Photo: Xerces Society / Stephanie McKnight)
Keep Monarchs Wild: Why Captive Rearing Isn’t the Way to Help Monarchs
Monarch Wishing Tree holding up hundreds of wooden butterflies
California Garden Center Leads by Example with Monarch Wishing Tree
Eastern swallowtail butterfly on buttonbush
Ways to Defend Biodiversity this Earth Week
Monarch drinking nectar from purple coneflower
What is a Monarch’s Favorite Nectar Plant? Scientists are Seeking Your Observations
Person sit in front of garden shed in late winter, with dead leaves and brush around their feet
For Pollinators' Sakes, Don’t Spring into Garden Cleanup Too Soon!
Two individuals planting seedlings
Can You Top These 15 Creative Xerces Fundraiser Ideas?
A bee foraging on a yellow and purple flower in a suburban garden. The bee is golden-brown and hairy, and has very long antennae. The flower has many narrow, purple petals that radiate out from the yellow center. The flower is growing in a flower border beside a house. Behind can be seen a blue garage door and a white sedan parked on the driveway.
Four Steps You can Take to Bring Back the Pollinators
A photograph of a farm, looking along a recently planted hedgerow. The hedgerow has three rows of bushy plants that stretch into the distance. Many of the plants are in bloom, showing yellow, white, pink, and purple flowers. To the left is a pond, reflecting the blue sky. To the right is a gravel road and apple trees.
Businesses Support the “Little Things that Run the World”
A group of young people standing a classroom holding wooden insect houses that they have been building. Some people have blonde hair, some brown, and some black. A few of the group are wearing head scarfs. The insect houses are square frames with a pointed roof.
Bee City USA & Bee Campus USA Affiliate Spotlight: University of Michigan-Dearborn
A group of people wearing wide-brimmed hats stand with their backs to the camera, watching a man standing waist-deep in grass and flowers swings a white butterfly net.
Using Community Science to Conserve Bumble Bees: From Small Beginnings to a Continent-Wide Effort
A pollinator garden full of yellow-and-red and pink flowers. In the center is a sign that says "Pollinator Garden" and has colorful illustrations of flowers, butterflies, and bees.
Building Resilient Communities: Reflecting on a Year of Challenge and Opportunity for Bee City USA & Bee Campus USA
The black hairs that cover the rear segments of this yellow-and-black bumble bee shine in the sunshine as it forages on a pink flower
What Should You Do for Pollinator Week? Go Bumble Bee Watching!
In daylight, most fireflies don't look so magical. This big dipper firefly is mostly black, with pale brown margins to it's body and a red patch on the top of it's thorax.
Shedding Light on Firefly Natural History and Distributions through Community Science
A bottle of vinegar lies on a table beside a bowl full of slices of peach and cherry tomatoes
Bee Better Certified: One Acre at a Time
A cluster of several dozen orange-and-black monarch butterflies rest on the branches of a pine tree
Applying a Holistic Approach to Monarch Conservation
A glow-worm with an elongated and segmented body of dark brown with pink stripes
Supporting Firefly Conservation from Coast to Coast
A small black-and-white striped bee is curled over with its head in a pink flower to reach the nectar
Ask for a Healthier World
The long coiled body of a brown centipede shines against the dark soil
The Actual Earth of Earth Week
Beneath a blue sky, the clear waters of a river sparkle as it flows past pine trees
WARNING: this blog post may entice you to partake in “virtual democracy”
A group of men and women stand in the middle of an old hayfield discussing plans for restoring wildflowers.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – March 2021
Two orange-and-black monarch butterflies drink nectar on yellow-and-red colored flowers. The flowers are tropical milkweed, a non-native plant that should not be grown to help monarchs.
Resident Monarch Populations on the Rise in California: What Does this Mean for the Western Migratory Population?
Graph showing results from surveys of overwintering monarchs in California. The number of monarchs has fallen for several years, so the height of the bars gets shorter and shorter to the right of the graph
Fifth Annual Western Monarch New Year’s Count Confirms Continued Decline in Western Monarch Population
A small, dark-colored bee gathers nectar from the middle of a yellow flower
To Protect Pollinators, Talk to Your Nursery
Well wrapped against the winter weather, two people walk across a snow-covered field of stubble scattering wildflower seed
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – February 2021
"Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count Data 1997-2020 shows that despite a strong volunteer effort, monarch numbers are at the lowest point recorded since the count started in 1997"
Western Monarch Population Closer to Extinction as the Wait Continues for Monarchs’ Protection Under the Endangered Species Act
Close-up of reddish-brown oak leaves scattered on the ground near the base of a fence
Leave the Leaves to Benefit Wildlife
The wild pansy is a tiny flower with pale purple petals
The wild pansy is a tiny flower with pale purple petals
Discovery of a Rare Plant Through Remnant Prairie Restoration
A female firefly flashes from her perch on the tip of a curving twig
A female firefly flashes from her perch on the tip of a curving twig
Hope Rising: World Firefly Day
An orange-and-black striped checkered beetle foraging on yellow flowers
Notes from the Other Orders: Beetles as Pollinators
A group of three college students with clipboards watch carefully for bees beside a flower-rich garden.
Celebrating a Year of Enacting Positive Change: Bee City USA & Bee Campus USA
the bright orange face of giant hornets is a distinctive feature
An Unlikely Invasion: Giant Hornets in North America
This graphic depicts a Checklist of Actions to Promote Pollinators in Yards, Gardens, and Parks; a score sheet for your site; a plant list; and a phone displaying a photo of some flowering habitat in front of a small house.
How to Maximize Benefits to Pollinators in Cities and Towns
The front page of the guide Supporting Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management: Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides is shown, with some large text blocks and an image of a field in which different insects, including butterflies and bees, are shown in a landscape.
The front page of the guide Supporting Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management: Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides is shown, with some large text blocks and an image of a field in which different insects, including butterflies and bees, are shown in a landscape.
Start Now To Prevent Mosquito-Borne Disease and Keep Our Pollinators Safe
Amid a mountainous, meadow-strewn landscape, three people holding butterfly nets walk along a narrow, dirt trail.
Tracking Butterfly Populations through Community Science
Two women, one with dark hair and a hat, and one with bright red hair, look at a white insect net while standing in a grassy field.
Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas: Doing a Little to Impact the Whole
A fuzzy, primarily yellow, bee flies towards a purple sprig of flowers. The bee and the flowers are in sharp focus. The background, made up of purples and reds, is blurred.
This Earth Week, Let's Bring Communities Together to Protect Pollinators
The cover of Dave Goulson's book, The Garden Jungle or Gardening to Save the Planet is shown. It has hand-painted illustrations of flowers and insects.
Earth Week Reading: Gardening to Save the Planet
A small house with light paint and bright blue trim is dwarfed by the lush garden in the foreground, featuring flowers of a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
12 Climate Actions for Earth Week
In this graphic, a bee peeks out of a hole in loose dirt. The text says, "The Xerces Society's Response to COVID-19," and lists the points outlined in this blog post.
The Xerces Society's Response to COVID-19
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs Overwintering in Mexico Down 53%
An illustrated landscape showing changing seasons (for instance, a tree that is half bare and half covered in bright pink blooms) shows bumble bees in various stages of their life cycle, including underground nests, foraging, and larvae.
Five Ways to Support Queen Bumble Bees this Spring
A monarch with large pieces missing from both wings perches on an evergreen branch.
New Year’s Count Finds Continued Decline of Monarchs Overwintering in California
A long line of people of diverse ages, genders, and races are all sporting bright yellow and black-striped bee outfits in an outdoor festival setting.
Evolution in Attitudes Leads to Greater Interest in Pollinator Conservation
A fuzzy bee with black and gray stripes gathers pollen in the middle of a purple flower.
Support Pollinator Conservation by Reducing or Eliminating Pesticide Use in Urban Environments
A kid stands in a verdant landscape with blue sky. He is putting something into his mouth as he stands near a hedgerow with fruit and flowers on it.
Tu BiShvat, the New Year for Trees, Provides a Chance to Support Invertebrates
In this hand-drawn/hand-painted image, a grove of trees is shown, with a cut stump and a dead monarch with tattered wings in the foreground.
The Vanishing Butterfly Groves of California
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Thanksgiving Count Shows Western Monarchs Need Our Help More than Ever
A woman in a red rain coat and gray hiking pants stands on the edge of a rocky mountain stream, holding a net, and scanning the water carefully. She is in a mountain meadow with yellow flowers.
Xerces' Holistic Approach to Conservation
A line of colorful, flowering plants, including a bush with red blossoms in the foreground, recedes into the distance. Parallel to this line are rows of trees in an orchard.
Climate News Roundup: IPCC Lands Report
A teal-colored house is seemingly dwarfed by a profusion of plants growing around it, including purple and yellow blooms.
Insect Apocalypse? What Is Really Happening; Why it Matters; and How We All Can Help
A smiling woman wearing a black coat and a black Xerces Society hat leans over a table. On the other side of the table, a kid with a colorful hoodie reaches for an assortment of small glass vials containing bee specimens. The woman and the kid are looking at the same vials and appear to be talking.
Hope and Heart: Engaging Volunteers in Conservation
A fuzzy, yellow and black striped bee perches atop a cluster of bright yellow flowers.
Still Questing for Bee Nests
A tall woman with short, white hair who is holding a Xerces pollinator habitat sign stands next to a woman with dark hair and a dark down coat, in the entrance to a garden.
Bee City USA Begins a New Chapter
Meandering yellow-green streaks weave through a darkening forest with a thick understory of ferns, in this long-exposure shot of fireflies.
Conserving the Jewels of the Night
In this landscape image, rows of green, leafy trees are on the left, and on the right are blossoming cover crops of various colors. There is also blue sky and puffy clouds to round out this idyllic scene.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – October 2019
With wings spread, a monarch butterfly basks on a milkweed plant among the stems of a tulle marsh.
Western Monarchs: Notes from the Field
A beautiful, colorful garden bursts with a variety of blooms. In the background, a partially obscured, brightly-painted house stands. In the foreground is a Xerces Society pollinator habitat sign.
Nature Close to Home: Reimagining Gardens to Support Invertebrates
Bright green trees are shown alongside a wall of windows, reflecting a blue sky and a tall building.
Climate News Round-Up: The Power of Trees!
Two monarchs' wings overlap as they stand back end to back end, mating.
Community Science Powers New Western Monarch Studies
A plastic clamshell of blueberries bears the Bee Better Certified seal, as well as a label that says "Oregon grown" and the California Giant label.
Arriving in Stores: Bee Better Certified Blueberries
A purple and maroon night sky is lit by curving, white star trails, and the darkened area of the frame with silhouettes of trees is illuminated by the yellow streaks of fireflies in this long-exposure shot.
Celebrate World Firefly Day by Keeping Nights Dark
A pollinator habitat sign sits proudly among many bright blooms.
Let’s Make Every Week Pollinator Week!
A beautiful, bright orange monarch perches atop bright pink milkweed blossoms.
Working to Conserve Monarchs from Coast to Coast
A fuzzy bee with big, shiny eyes peers out of a hole in bare dirt.
A fuzzy bee with big, shiny eyes peers out of a hole in bare dirt.
Remember the Ground Nesting Bees when You Make Your Patch of Land Pollinator-Friendly
Bright yellow flowers reach upwards in this low-angle shot.
Managing Invertebrate-Friendly Gardens
A bumble bee holds tightly to a cluster of purple flowers.
Introducing Xerces’ Newest Community Science Project: Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas
Two women walk through a garden with abundant, colorful flowers.
Bee City USA: Galvanizing Communities to Reverse Pollinator Decline
A Xerces Society Pollinator Habitat sign stands proudly among a blossoming garden.
Bring Back the Pollinators During National Pollinator Week
A tiny monarch egg can be seen in a cluster of pink milkweed blossoms.
New iNaturalist Project Makes it Easier to Submit Data to the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper
A plump bumble bee with yellow and black stripes, as well as a brown patch on its back and brownish wings, pollinates a small, white flower.
5 Ways Wildlife Preservation Canada’s Bumble Bee Recovery & Conservation Initiatives Benefit from Bumble Bee Watch
An orange and black monarch nectars on the orange flowers of butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa).
How to Support Monarch Butterfly Conservation—During Earth Week and Beyond!
A fuzzy, gray and black bee collects pollen from a purple flower.
Bee City USA Mobilizes Communities to Support Imperiled Pollinators—Here’s How to Join
Robbin Thorp, wearing an orange shirt and tan pants and a tan hat, carries a net as he walks through the hills of southern Oregon.
Honoring Robbin Thorp, a Legendary Figure in North American Bee Conservation
A garden in the front of a home showcases a variety of pollinator plants, including orange California poppies.
Pesticide-Free Gardening Tips for Earth Week and Beyond
Red-orange poppies pepper a verdant hillside.
Bee Better Certified Engages the Almond Industry
A globe, in the darkness of space, with invertebrates on all the continents and in the oceans.
Pledge to Bring Back the Pollinators—on Earth Day and Every Day
Young community scientists planting.
Community Scientists Take on the Cultivar Conundrum
A woman walking across a field with a nose working dog, looking for bumble bee nests.
A woman walking across a field with a nose working dog, looking for bumble bee nests.
A Quest for Bumble Bee Nests: The Missing Link
A field of sunflowers bordering a field.
Bee Better Certified: An Evolving Standard
Monarch butterfly flying above milkweed.
Community Scientists Can Help Support Imperiled Western Monarchs
A group of scientists taking a photo together, including Emma Pelton, our monarch specialist.
Photo Essay: Trinational Monarch Meeting and Exploring Mexico’s Monarch Overwintering Sites
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Record Low Number of Overwintering Monarch Butterflies in California—They Need Your Help!
Brightly colored pollinator plants burst from a vibrant hedgerow running alongside an orchard.
Climate News Round-Up: January 2019
Red coreopsis flowers stand out against a blue sky.
Businesses Aligning with the Life that Sustains Us
A metallic green bee appears to be climbing headfirst into a hole in some reddish-tan wood.
Where Do Pollinators Go in the Winter?
A monarch, with its wings folded, showing the duller orange side, clings to a rough tree trunk in a dimly-lit landscape.
Early Thanksgiving Counts Show a Critically Low Monarch Population in California
Red-and-green apples are clustered on a tree branch.
Celebrate Invertebrates During National Apple Month
A bumble bee sits atop a conical spire of small white flowers.
The Endangered Species Act Needs Your Help!
Bee City USA
Xerces Society + Bee City USA = A Match Made in Pollinator Heaven
A bee sits on top of a yellow flower.
Surprising Results from a Survey of Bumble Bee Watch Users
A lawn bursting with violets and dandelions provides color for humans to enjoy and pollen for our bee friends.
Bee Friendlier with Your Lawncare
A western monarch rests on a white flower amid a dry, grassy field.
Managing for Monarchs in the West
Leafcutter bee on a red and yellow blanketflower.
10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
A red dragonfly perches atop a green leaf in a garden. A bit of blurred siding is visible in the background, indicating it is close to a house.
A red dragonfly perches atop a green leaf in a garden. A bit of blurred siding is visible in the background, indicating it is close to a house.
How Our Gardening Choices Affect the Health of Our Waterways
A lone monarch in shadow perches atop fluffy, pink blossoms.
Very Low Numbers of Monarchs Overwintering in California may Reflect an Unusual Fall
A small, orangish-brown butterfly perches on a sprig of grayish-purple lavender.
Staff Stories: Life in the Suburbs
The Sran Family Orchards logo
Sran Family Orchards: The First Bee Better Certified Farm
A close cluster of bright yellow blooms brightens a yard.
Picking Plants for Pollinators: The Cultivar Conundrum
aromatic aster
Planning Your Plantings for Climate Resiliency
fall landscape
Going Beyond the Bloom: Don’t Be Just A Flower-Weather Friend
A queen bumble bee looks for a spot within a thick leaf cover.
Leave the Leaves!
soleil gaylord
Telluride Teen Takes Action Helping Pollinators
moth and bulb
To Protect Moths—Turn Out the Lights!
Bright yellow flowers bloom in the foreground of a scene with many layers. Farther out is a basin filled with subalpine lakes, and beyond are many mountain peaks.
Don’t Downsize the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
A Xerces Society pollinator habitat sign stands proudly in a lush garden.
Protecting Pollinators One Community at a Time
pollinator garden with a pollinator habitat sign
Are you up for the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge?
The March for Science logo, modeled after an atom, is shown.
Science: Something Worth Marching For
A field bursting with bright yellow flowers is shown.
Conservation Comes Home
monarch
To Save Monarchs, We Need More than Just Milkweed
asclepias speciosa
Monarch & Milkweed Workshops Engage Public Land Managers in Western States
ruby meadowhawk
ID Dragonflies and Locate Hotspots with the Dragonfly ID App!
spring wildflowers
Wildflowers, Harbingers of Spring