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Pollinator Conservation Program
NEW! Read about our new Pollinator Education and Awareness Campaign
and Learn to Build a Bumblebee Box!

(links to more information about Native Pollinators at bottom of page)

Northwest Pollinator Conservation Program Two thirds of flowering plant species rely on animals for the pollen transfer that is vital for healthy seed set and fruit production. There are many different creatures that help with this. Hummingbirds, bats, moths, beetles, flies, wasps, and butterflies all help, but bees-especially native bees-are the dominant provider of pollination services. Many agricultural crops need pollinating by insects to set seed or fruit. Without them the crops could not provide harvests: pumpkins, apples, blueberries, and many other fruits and vegetables would not be available for us in the grocery stores.

Male anthophorid bee (Eucera sp.) in a Malvaceae flower. Photographed by Edward S. Ross in Britton Lake, CA.

Pollinators also ensure the survival of healthy plant communities as habitat or food for other wildlife. Plants are the foundation of the food web, providing food for herbivores and indirectly for animals that prey on herbivores. The disruption of plant communities in wildland ecosystems has serious, long-term implications for many animal and insect populations. Some communities of rare plants already require human intervention for survival as their reproduction is limited by a lack of pollinators.

The primary cause of pollinator decline and local extinction is the destruction, modification, and fragmentation of habitat. Urban growth and intensified agricultural or forestry operations have contributed significantly to this, converting large areas of landscape into fragmented habitat. The remaining habitat areas are often isolated patches, modified by invasive plant species, weed killers, and changes in land management. Pesticides used on farms and in backyards kill insects outright whether they are pests or beneficial.

There are actions that can be taken to address the pollinator decline, and it is these that the Northwest Pollinator Conservation Program will promote. In the long-term, enhancing areas for pollinators will have direct benefits that go beyond helping these beneficial insects, and include attracting greater numbers of birds, mammals, and other insects, such as butterflies and moths.

Goal and objectives
The goal of the Northwest Pollinator Conservation Program is to promote conservation of native pollinator insects in Oregon and Washington states. To achieve this the program will:

· Present workshops to train educators, land managers, and farmers, so they gain an understanding of bees and learn the skills to create and manage pollinator habitat.
· Produce a handbook of pollinator management, and prepare leaflets and displays.
· Establish demonstration sites where people can be shown conservation techniques.
· Work with local people to provide the advice and support that will enable them to confidently do pollinator insect surveys, prepare plans, and enhance habitats.
· Create partnerships with state and local governments, environmental organizations, and agricultural and recreational land managers to implement habitat improvements.
· Develop a regional pollinator database, accessed via the Xerces Society's website.

The Society has been establishing links with schools, parks, landowners, scientists, agencies, and environmental organizations in Oregon and Washington. Two workshops about native bees and their conservation have been presented to land managers and educators in the Portland, Oregon, area. Continuing contact with local people and environmental professionals is building awareness of pollinator conservation, and generating activities such as summer camp programs, guided walks, school activities, and proposals for habitat enhancement.

Funding for this work has come from a Greenspaces Education Grant (a program of Metro Regional Parks and Greenspaces and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), the Lamb Foundation, and generous donations from Xerces Society members.

Pollinators on Golf Courses
Since 1997, the Xerces Society has been working on three golf courses in Washington and Oregon to assess and enhance wild pollinator populations in the out-of-play areas. Partners on this project were Dr. Vince Tepedino of the USDA Bee Biology Laboratory in Logan, Utah, the Society for Ecological Restoration, and the Forgotten Pollinators Campaign. The project focused on monitoring pollinator populations, establishing bee nesting sites in out-of-play areas, and enriching foraging habitat with native plants. Products from this project have included written guidelines for golf course superintendents and a magazine article. The project also received significant media attention with items on National Public Radio and in the Smithsonian magazine.

This project was funded by the Wildlife Links Program of the US Golf Association and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

More about our native pollinators
Go to the pages below for more information on pollinators and some things you can do to help the bees and pollinator insects in your backyard, school grounds, or wherever you have space.
- The importance of pollinators
- Life cycles and habitats of native bees
- Bee biology
- Things you can do for native bees
- Pollinator plants - native
- Pollinator plants - garden
- Books, resources, and links

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