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Press & Media

Press & Media

Xerces Society staff are respected as reliable sources of science-based advice at the forefront of invertebrate protection, and can provide information and perspective on all aspects of invertebrate conservation.

Our team includes nationally recognized experts on a range of issues, including insect declines, protecting endangered species, climate change impacts, pollinator conservation, pesticide risk, habitat creation, and wildlife gardening. We work to understand and protect insects and other invertebrates in all landscapes, from wildlands to backyards.

In each of the last three years, Xerces staff were quoted or our work was mentioned in thousands of media articles that reached over one billion people worldwide.

We’re happy to give media interviews. Please direct all inquiries to Deborah Seiler, Director of Communications: (503) 212-0550, [email protected]. 

For general information about our work, please see our blog, publications, and other information on our website. Follow us on social media for the latest updates, as well.

Recent Press Releases

Xerces and NRDC ask FWS to take legal steps to protect rusty patched bumble bee

On February 13, 2014, the Xerces Society and NRDC filed a notice of intent to sue the Secretary of the Interior for failure to respond to a petition to list the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The rusty patched bumble bee is an important pollinator of cranberries, plums, apples, alfalfa, and numerous other crops and wildflowers. Historically, it was found across the Upper Midwest and Eastern Seaboard, but in recent years it has been lost from 87% of its historic range and its abundance relative to other bumble bees has declined by 95%.

Save Oregon’s Pollinators Act addresses bee decline

In response to four separate bee die-offs last summer that killed approximately 55,000 bumble bees, new legislation seeks solutions protect pollinators from insecticides. Save Oregon’s Pollinators Act (House Bill 4139) will get its first hearing with the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in Salem on Tuesday February 11th.

Number of Monarch butterflies overwintering in California holds steady, but still well below the 1990s

Data released today show that more monarch butterflies were counted at overwintering sites in California this year compared to last year. While this is welcome news, the number of butterflies is still well below peak numbers from the 1990s.

Grab Your Camera…Bumble Bee Watch is Here!

A new web site launched today allows people to be directly involved in protecting bumble bees throughout North America. BumbleBeeWatch.org enables people to connect with experts and other enthusiasts, and help build a comprehensive picture of where bumble bees are thriving and where they need help.

Bumble Bee Kills: Negligence Proven, Fines Inadequate

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) today released a report outlining their findings that several bumble bee kills in 2013 were caused by two neonicotinoid insecticides, dinotefuran and imidacloprid. ODA has levied fines because of negligence on the part of applicators totaling $2,886 for bee kills in Wilsonville, downtown Portland and West Linn. No fines were levied in an incident in Hillsboro.

For General Media Inquiries

Contact Deborah Seiler,

Director of Communications

Phone: (503) 212-0550

Email: [email protected]

Xerces in the News

Check out our reach and view a listing of articles from around the world featuring the Xerces Society.