Friday, September 16, 2011

The Xerces Society



From their website:
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs.


Butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, worms, starfish, mussels, and crabs are but a few of the millions of invertebrates at the heart of a healthy environment. Invertebrates build the stunning coral reefs of our oceans; they are essential to the reproduction of most flowering plants, including many fruits, vegetables, and nuts; and they are food for birds, fish, and other animals. Yet invertebrate populations are often imperiled by human activities and rarely accounted for in mainstream conservation.


The Society uses advocacy, education, and applied research to defend invertebrates.


Over the past three decades, we have protected endangered species and their habitats, produced ground-breaking publications on insect conservation, trained thousands of farmers and land managers to protect and manage habitat, and raised awareness about the invertebrates of forests, prairies, deserts, and oceans.


One of the programs that they offer (I am hoping to take one of these days) is their Pollinator Conservation Course.  Many of these day-long courses are offered for free or for minimal cost (around $30).  They are offered in many places around the U.S. and they were just approved through a grant by the SARE to do a tour through the southeastern United States.  Their Pollinator Conservation page is here.  Their extensive Pollination Conservation Resource Center page is here.  Their listing of upcoming Pollinator Conservation Courses is here.

Take some time to check out this website, their resources, and find out what they may be doing near you.

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