|
|
|
Bee City USA Visits South Dakota
|
|
|
In-person visits are one of my favorite things about my work with Bee City USA. Last month, I visited beautiful western South Dakota for the South Dakota Parks & Recreation Association’s annual conference and visited four of our Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA affiliates in the Black Hills: Spearfish, Rapid City, Black Hills State University, and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. There are so many ways to approach pollinator protection, and I saw a great variety in South Dakota, ranging from a community food forest to bioswales to natural areas. Join us on a photo tour of western South Dakota Bee Cities and Bee Campuses.
|
|
|
Meet the Insects That Pollinate Your Favorite Fall Foods
|
|
|
The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, and the economic value of these native pollinators is estimated at $3 billion per year. With several holiday meals coming up, whether we prepare for feasts or simply a weeknight meal using seasonal fare, it is worth taking a moment to meet the insects that help make these foods possible! Read more
|
??Š
??Š
|
Leave the Leaves for Natural Pest Control
|
|
Did you know the bugs that eat pest insects also use leaf litter and stems to overwinter and complete their life cycles? In general, leaving fallen leaves and dried stems where they are is the right move. But there are some cases where pests and diseases are best addressed by removing plant material from your yard. However, it doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing! Follow our tips for deciding which leaves to tidy and which to leave alone. Read more
(And check out our Leave the Leaves Toolkit to spread the word about protecting nesting and overwintering habitat for native invertebrates.)
|
|
- Charlottesville, VA
- Clarke County, VA
- Evansville, IN
If you know of a community that might be interested in becoming a Bee City or Bee Campus, we'd love to connect with them. We're particularly interested in those in Alaska or Hawaii, two states where we have no affiliates. Let us know at beecityusa@xerces.org. We are available to meet, present, and/or send outreach materials to groups that are interested. Here are the Bee City USA Commitments and Bee Campus USA Commitments. Thank you!
|
??Š
|
|
Apply Now! $5,000 Student Research Awards from the Xerces Society
|
|
|
In addition to the Xerces Society's long-running Joan Mosenthal DeWind award, we are proud to announce the first annual Deborah BanDrosky Award. Please feel free to share these with students you think might benefit from these opportunities.
NEW: 2026 Deborah BanDrosky Award: For students engaged in studies and research as part of a higher education degree related to invertebrate conservation and who intend to continue to work in this field. For full award information and instructions visit xerces.org/bandrosky.
- Award Amount: Two $5,000 awards, plus two honorable mention awards
- Submission Deadline: Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST)
- Winners Announced: by April 15, 2026
- Initial Award Payment: by June 2026
2026 Joan Mosenthal DeWind Award: For research and conservation of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). For full award information and instructions visit xerces.org/dewind and FAQs: xerces.org/dewind/faqs.
- Award Amount: Two $5,000 awards, plus two honorable mention awards
- Submission Deadline: Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST)
- Winners Announced: by March 31, 2026
- Initial Award Payment: by June 2026
|
??Š
|
|
In Case You Missed It: Watch Our Non-Chemical Pest Management Webinar
|
|
|
A warm thank you to our affiliates who presented at last month's Non-Chemical Pest Management webinar: Nicci Sternitzky from Elm Grove, WI; Erica Mae Tano from San Francisco, CA; and Victoria Salerno from University of Wisconsin - Madison. And an extra thank you to our coworker Jacqueline Buenrostro on the Xerces Society's Pesticide Reduction team for all of her work on this excellent presentation.
Here is the webinar, in case you missed or want to share it with others. You can find all of our past webinars on Xerces Society's YouTube channel, on the Bee City USA playlist.
|
|
|
[External Opportunity] Call for Abstracts for the International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health, and Policy 2026
|
|
|
Are you are pollinator researcher? The International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health, and Policy is seeking abstracts for their 2026 conference at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.
The International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health, and Policy will feature presentations and discussions on topics critical to insect pollinator health. Symposium subjects include the impacts of pathogens and pesticides on pollinators, pollinator nutrition, the effects of abiotic factors on pollinator health, and land management strategies and policies that benefit pollinators. Ongoing national and global initiatives in policy, education, and Extension will also be highlighted.
This conference will bring together individuals from universities, government agencies, industry, non-profit organizations, and several stakeholder groups to engage in a dialogue about the research, management, conservation, and policy approaches that are required to ensure insect pollinator health.
- Abstract Submission Deadline: January 15, 2026
- Notification of Abstract Acceptance: March 1, 2026
- Conference Registration Deadline: April 1, 2026
- Early Registration Deadline: January 30, 2025
- Conference Dates: June 25 - 27, 2026
Submit an abstract here
|
|
|
[External Job Announcement] Missouri Department of Conservation Science Assistant
|
|
|
We saw this job listing and thought a few of you might find it interesting!
Job Title: Science Assistant
- Employer: Missouri Department of Conservation
- Hourly Pay Rate: $20.08
- Closing Date: December 3, 2025
- Job Summary: Assist with the collection, processing, identification, databasing, analysis and reporting of terrestrial invertebrate (including pollinators) and botanical data.
Learn more and apply
|
|
|
Have an event, funding opportunity, or volunteer opportunity you would like us to promote? Email beecityusa@xerces.org. If you have a Bee City/Campus login: you can add events here.
|
|
|
Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives of the Xerces Society.
The Xerces Society is a donor-supported nonprofit organization that protects our world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.
Your tax-deductible donation will help grow and sustain that essential work.
|
|
??Š
??Š
|
|
Photo credits from top:
South Dakota: Laura Rost / Xerces Society
Fall Foods: Matthew Shepherd
Assassin Bug: Lisa Brown CC-BY 2.0
Student Research Awards: Federico Riva (2017 DeWind award winner)
Non-Chemical webinar: Jacqueline Buenrostro / Xerces Society
© The Xerces Society
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
