Xerces Society Webinars

The nearly fifty species of bumble bees in North America are highly efficient pollinators of our natural areas and farm fields, making them essential to ecosystem function. Unfortunately, substantial declines in widespread and formerly common species have been reported. Between climate change, the widespread use of pesticides, habitat loss, and the amplification and spread of diseases from commercial bees, bumble bees face an uphill challenge to recover from observed declines, and repopulate areas where they’ve been lost. In this webinar we will discuss bumble bee ecology, how that interacts with ongoing conservation issues, and what we can all do to help. The good news is that we can all contribute. Beyond participating in our Bumble Bee Atlas projects, protecting, creating, and restoring habitat is the key. We’ll discuss how to provide critical aspects of habitat to benefit each stage of the life cycle, whether you have a small porch, or manage several acres.

While this webinar is directed toward our Bumble Bee Atlas volunteers, anyone is welcome to join. The webinar will be led by the bumble bee conservation crew at the Xerces Society: Katie Lamke, Leif Richardson, Genevieve Pugesek, Molly Martin, Michelle Toshack, Amy Dolan and Rich Hatfield, who will be joined by Dr. Elaine Evans and Elise Bernstein of the University of Minnesota.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Learn more and register here today!

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

Join us for the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas 2025 training webinar to learn the what, why and how of this project! We'll go step-by-step though the process of joining and participating in the Atlas, discuss what's new in 2025, and have time for Q&A.

The Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas is a collaboration between the Xerces Society and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

This webinar will be recorded and available on the Bumble Bee Atlas website and our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Learn more and register here today!


Amy Dolan - Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas - Xerces Society


Michelle Toshack - Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Montana Bumble Bee Atlas - Xerces Society

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

Join the Xerces Society's Firefly Atlas coordinator to learn about how to collect valuable firefly data! This hour-long webinar prepares viewers to participate in the Firefly Atlas, a community science project that gathers species-level survey and observation data on fireflies in the USA and Canada.

The webinar will include tips about firefly photography for ID purposes and how to document flash pattern details, as well as how to avoid common mistakes when surveying for fireflies. If you have watched the previously recorded training video, "Firefly Atlas Training: How to do a firefly survey" on the Xerces Society YouTube channel, but have some lingering questions, this webinar will be perfect for you!

This event is intended for community scientists and any professionals who do insect species inventories, but anyone with an interest in the topic is welcome. This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Learn more and register here today!


Richard Joyce - Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Firefly Atlas - Xerces Society

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

This 2-hour workshop will prepare community scientists and agency biologists to participate in the Minnesota Bumble Bee Atlas and Iowa Bumble Bee Atlas projects in 2025.

During this webinar, we will provide clear guidance on how to participate in the Atlas and discuss priorities for the 2025 field season. The training will cover how to conduct your own survey, where and when to survey, what supplies you'll need, and how to submit your data. We will also discuss how to differentiate bumble bees from the other insects you'll encounter in the field.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Reminder: This webinar will serve as the last of our two-part training series. Before attending this webinar, please attend or watch part one of the training series, "Ecology and Conservation of Bumble Bees.” If you were not able to make it to the part one webinar, you can view the recording posted to the Xerces YouTube channel.

This workshop is supported by the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Learn more and register here today!


Genevieve Pugesek - Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Midwest Bumble Bee Atlas - Xerces Society


Katie Lamke - Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Midwest Bumble Bee Atlas - Xerces Society


Sarah Nizzi - Pollinator Conservation Specialist, NRCS Partner Biologist, Iowa - Xerces Society


Elaine Evans is a University of Minnesota Extension Educator and Researcher working on pollinator education and research relating to bee conservation. After completing an M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Minnesota, Elaine has worked to connect people and pollinators through public engagement in monitoring, sharing conservation action steps, and researching impacts of conservation actions.


Elise Bernstein is a researcher and outreach coordinator for the University of Minnesota Bee Squad. She is a project coordinator for the Minnesota Bumble Bee Atlas and Nest Quest research projects that involve public participation, as well as the Pollinator Ambassadors volunteer program. Elise leads pollinator-centric outreach across the Twin Cities metro area and is passionate about engaging with the public on supporting pollinators. She has a B.S. in environmental science, policy, and management with an emphasis in environmental education and communication from the University of Minnesota.


Stephanie Shepherd is a biologist with the Iowa DNR's Wildlife Diversity Program who for the last 20 years has had the privilege of working with volunteer community scientists all over the state on species as diverse as eagles, bats and frogs. However, it is the prairie insects that are her true love, so being involved with the Iowa Bumblebee Atlas is a delight!


Bee Miller is a master's candidate in the Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology department at Iowa State University. Having graduated with a B.A. in Biology from Luther College in May 2022, Bee focuses on native pollinators, including solitary bees and bumble bees. Her research involves conducting bee surveys within prairie strips to assess whether surrounding landscape affects the pollinators found. She collaborates with the Iowa DNR and The Xerces Society to help lead Iowa Bumble Bee Atlas trainings.

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

The Bumble Bee Atlas is a community science effort to gather the data needed to track and conserve bumble bees. Join us for the 2025 training session for the Montana Bumble Bee Atlas! Learn how to participate in the Atlas, find out what's new in 2025, and have an opportunity to get your questions answered.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Learn more and register here today!


Michelle Toshack - Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Montana Bumble Bee Atlas - Xerces Society

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

Join us for the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas 2025 Training Webinar! Whether you're new to the project or a returning participant, this session will equip you with everything you need to contribute to the Atlas.

Learn how to get involved, explore updates for 2025, and have your questions answered. We'll cover project basics, selecting and adopting a survey site, survey protocols, required materials, and data collection and entry. This webinar is essential for new participants and a valuable refresher for returning volunteers. Don't miss this opportunity to support bumble bee conservation in the Pacific Northwest!

This webinar will be recorded and available on the Bumble Bee Atlas website and the Xerces YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Learn more and register here today!


Molly Martin - Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Pacific Northwest - Xerces Society


Rich Hatfield - Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Bumble Bee Conservation Lead - Xerces Society

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

California is home to 25 species of bumble bees, many of which face an uncertain future. Several species, including the western bumble bee, Crotch's bumble bee, the Suckely cuckoo bumble bee, and Franklin's bumble bee, have recently experienced significant declines. In order to conserve them, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation has partnered with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to launch the California Bumble Bee Atlas. A key aspect of this work is to train a team of volunteers equipped with nets and cameras spread throughout the state to help us understand where these species are still living, and in which habitats they thrive. This California Bumble Bee Atlas workshop is your opportunity to join the collaborative effort to track and conserve California's bumble bees!

The agenda consists of three parts, and will cover an overview of bumble bee ecology and conservation as well as methods to be used by project volunteers to collect information about bees found at particular sites.

• Module 1: Introduction to Bumble Bee Ecology
• Module 2: California Bumble Bee Atlas Methods
• Module 3: California Bumble Bee Identification

This workshop is supported by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and other funders.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Learn more and register here today!


Leif Richardson - Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, California Bumble Bee Atlas - Xerces Society


Rich Hatfield - Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Bumble Bee Conservation Lead - Xerces Society

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

Although most ecosystems on Earth are altered by humans, we still have little understanding of how to do conservation, especially of insects in human-dominated ecosystems. Join Dr. Chelse Prather, Associate Professor of Biology at the Univeristy of Daylon, to talk about four projects on this topic covering diverse ecosystems such as restored prairies, greenroofs, urban farms, and solar arrays as well as diverse insect groups like beetles, hemipterans, bees, ants, and butterflies.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Learn more and register here today!


Dr. Chelse Prather - Associate Professor - University of Dayton
Dr. Chelse Prather is an ecologist with 20 years of diverse experience working with insect communities in forests, grasslands, and urban ecosystems. She is a passionate instructor, mentor, and scientist. She has managed a variety of projects from understanding basic insect ecology, like what nutrients limit insect communities, to very applied projects, such as how the development of solar power affects insect communities.

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

In this webinar, Dr. Laura Figueroa will present on the importance of pollinators worldwide, factors that influence pollinator communities, and novel monitoring tools (including non-lethal AI based approaches), for monitoring pollinators in changing landscapes. She will present work on bee communities in solar facilities and other human modified environments.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Learn more and register here today!


Dr. Laura Figueroa - Assistant Professor; Environmental Conservation Department - University of Massachusetts Amherst
Dr. Laura Figueroa is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Conservation Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Figueroa was previously an NSF postdoctoral research fellow, and completed her PhD in entomology at Cornell University. She is broadly interested in insect conservation, with a focus on pollinators in changing landscapes and climate change. She has worked in temperate regions (primarily the Northeastern US) as well as in the tropics (in Costa Rica and in Colombia), and her active research program seeks to answer pressing questions in the field of pollinator conservation.

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].