Contact:  Eric Mader, Xerces Society National Pollinator Outreach
Coordinator (eric@xerces.org)

*THE XERCES SOCIETY TO OFFER POLLINATOR CONSERVATION PLANNING SHORT COURSE
IN 36 STATES *

March 2010

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:
http://www.xerces.org. <http://www.xerces.org/events/>

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 which provides
access to all one needs to complete a pollinator conservation project in any
region of the United States can be found at
http://www.xerces.org<http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center>
.

ABOUT SARE
Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable,
environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research
and education grants program. The SARE program is supported by the National
Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), U.S. Department of Agriculture.
More information about SARE is available at www.sare.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact Eric Mader <eric@xerces.org>, National Pollinator Outreach
Coordinator, The Xerces Society, 503-232-6639

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