Every spring, the Xerces Society gives out at least two awards for students engaged in research related to Lepidoptera conservation, made possible through the Joan Mosenthal DeWind Awards program. This year, we are thrilled to announce our two awardees, both of whom are PhD candidates: Chris Cosma of University of California-Riverside and Brendan Carson of Tufts University.
Outreach and Education
World Firefly Day: Watch Us, Don’t Catch Us!
World Firefly Day will take place over the weekend of July 3 and 4. In addition to celebrating these magical insects, it also draws attention to conservation issues, particularly the threat from tourism.
Arrancando la Primera Iniciativa de Conservación de Polinizadores para el Centro de México
Héctor Ávila Villegas is working to promote pollinator conservation in Central Mexico. He has planned and implemented habitat projects and is engaged in public outreach. This blog is part two of his story.
Migrating Murals
Ink Dwell studio launched the Migrating Mural project in 2012 to celebrate animals that migrate, creating impossible-to-ignore artworks as monuments to the wonders of the natural world.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest - February 2020
For February, we are welcoming Alina Harris, who has filled our brand-new role of Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management Specialist and NRCS Partner Biologist in New Hampshire, and looking ahead to our expanding role in New Mexico.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest - January 2020
January's featured staff members have been working with growers in one of Oregon's major fruit-producing regions, and training conservation professionals to assess and improve habitat in Wisconsin.
Xerces' Holistic Approach to Conservation
We at the Xerces Society view our work as an interconnected whole rather than as separate parts. To achieve conservation success, we must understand both science and policy. We need to inspire people and at the same time empower them with the tools they require.
Hope and Heart: Engaging Volunteers in Conservation
Rachel Dunham, Xerces Society Community Engagement Coordinator, reflects on the pilot year of l Xerces Ambassador program and looks ahead to the program's expansion to new cities.
Starting from Scratch: New Hampshire Farm Dives into Conservation Biological Control
This positive case study demonstrates the possibilities for farmers interested in supporting native pollinators and reducing or eliminating pesticide use.
Working Together in Iowa to Find the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
Sarah Nizzi, Farm Bill Pollinator Conservation Planner and NRCS Partner Biologist, writes about a recent workshop in Iowa and a sighting of the endangered rusty patched bumble bee.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – August 2019
August’s featured staff members conducted a successful pollinator habitat workshop in Nebraska, and have been busy building beetle banks in Iowa.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – June 2019
June’s featured staff share their work with partners in large-scale agriculture in central Washington, family farms in Wisconsin, and a unique urban agriculture fellowship program in Virginia.
Reflecting on a Multi-Year Conservation Biological Control Project
From 2015–2019, the Xerces Society brought a series of 61 day-long courses on conservation biological control to 49 states and 2,000 participants, with far-reaching results.
Cedaroak Park Primary School Gardens Offer Learning Opportunities
Jenni Denekas, Xerces' web and communications coordinator, writes, "Being assigned to create an interpretive panel for Cedaroak Park Primary School, where I attended grade school, was a special experience."
Businesses Aligning with the Life that Sustains Us
The trend of business owners aligning with social and environmental causes is on the rise. Here at the Xerces Society, we are feeling these benefits—and are very thankful for the support.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – December 2018
December’s featured staff hail from Iowa and Minnesota, and have been making significant impacts in their respective states by educating farmers and other members of the public, helping to restore and build new habitat, and pushing for policies that support pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – November 2018
November’s featured staff hail from Minnesota, Indiana, and California, and have been conducting training and outreach events, helping General Mills to implement their plan to plant 3,300 acres of pollinator habitat, and monitoring farm habitat plantings in the San Joaquin Valley.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – October 2018
October’s featured staff hail from Oklahoma, California, and Nebraska, and have been providing workshops for the public, planning pollinator habitat for arid agricultural areas, and assessing the success of pollinator plantings.
Monarch & Milkweed Workshops Engage Public Land Managers in Western States
These trainings are part of a partnership to increase the number of biologists, land managers, and agency staff working towards western monarch conservation.
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