what is the xerces society? pollinator habitat restoration ... land... · •publications: books,...

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Pollinator Habitat Restoration from Coast

to Coast: Lessons from the Field

Mace Vaughan Pollinator Conservation Program Director, Xerces Society

Joint Pollinator Conservation Specialist, USDA-NRCS

West National Technology Support Center Photo: Rollin Coville

What is the Xerces Society?

Photo:s California NRCS and Ed Ross

Since 1971, the Society has worked to protect wildlife

through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat.

Major Programs:

• Pollinator conservation

• Endangered species

• Aquatic invertebrates

Xerces blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche xerces), the first U.S. butterfly

to go extinct due to human activities

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Photo: Eric Mader

The Xerces Society Pollinator Program

The Xerces Society:

A Nationwide Pollinator

Training and Education Service

Collaborate with scientists, government

agencies, farmers, conservation groups,

cooperative extension, and homeowners.

• Training and outreach

• Publications: books, guidelines, etc.

• Habitat restoration

• Pesticide risk reduction

• Technical support to the USDA-NRCS

• Applied restoration research

• One-on-one technical support to farmers

• Information for policymakers and media

• Conservation of at-risk pollinators

2008 Farm Bill: Pollinator Conservation

2008 Farm Bill

• Encourages the inclusion

of pollinators in all USDA

conservation programs

• Primary agency: USDA

Natural Resources

Conservation Service

Photo: Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society)

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USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG):

Develop and Test Pollinator Habitat Restoration for Six

Regions of the U.S. (October 2009 to September 2012)

Photo: Don Kierstead (NH NRCSy)

NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants

Photo: Claudia Street (Glenn County RCD)

Project goals:

• Create demonstration sites

• Field test restoration plans

• Refine pollinator plant lists

• Write clear guidelines for NRCS

conservation planners and farmers

• Disseminate results to conservation

planners and partners

NRCS CIG: Pollinator Habitat Restoration

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Targeted Regions

Photo: Brett Blauw, Michigan State University Lautenbach et al 2012. Spatial and temporal trends of global pollination benefit. PLoS ONE.


Demonstration sites:

• Established more than 20 demonstration sites on farms across the U.S.

Photos: Mission RCD, Eric Mader (Xerces), Bob Glennon, Don Kiersted (NH NRCS)


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Plant lists:

• Developed, field-tested, and revised pollinator plant lists for six regions

Photo: CA NRCS


Photo: Jessa Guisse

The Finished Product!

Plant lists:

• California example


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Photo: Jessa Guisse

Plant lists:



Photo: Jessa Guisse


Plant lists:



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Photo: Jessa Guisse


Plant lists:



Tracking how well practices work:

• Monitored and documented variations in seeding

method, seeding rate, planting time, and plant growth

rate to identify key factors affecting project success

Key lessons to date:

• Do not cultivate

• No soil amendments for seeded plots

• Thorough site preparation and weed abatement

• Follow up weed management first year post-planting

• Recommend 40 to 60 seeds per square foot

• Patience

Photos: Claudia Street (Glenn County RCD)


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May 2010


Case Study: California Rangeland Planting

California Cattle Ranch

April 2010


June 2010



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August 2010




August 2010



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April 2011


California Cattle Ranch Oregon Cherry Orchard

(Columbia Gorge)

Photos :Mike Omeg, Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society)

Case Study: Native Plant Field Border

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New Hampshire Blueberry Farm


Photos: Don Keirstead

Pre-Planting: 2009 Post-Planting: 2011

New Hampshire Blueberry Farm


Photos: Don Keirstead

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Photos: Plymouth County NRCS


Massachusetts Cranberry Farm

Post-Planting:

Summer 2011

Hydroseeding

Native

Wildflowers:

Fall 2010

Photo: Anne Averill, University of Massachusetts


Massachusetts Cranberry Farm

Post-Planting:

Summer 2012

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Technical and training documents:

• Draft pollinator habitat meadow and/or hedgerow installation

guidelines for six regions of the U.S.


Refining and teaching:

• Finalizing habitat installation guides in

collaboration with NRCS state offices

• Presenting project results to the NRCS

and conservation partners via

webinars and other outreach events

Photos: Jim Cairns (CA NRCS)


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New Conservation Innovation Grant:

• Continue monitoring key sites to document changes in plant

communities over time and refine management strategies

• Field trials focusing on organic site preparation and weed

abatement techniques.

Photo: Jessa Guisse (Xerces Society)

Pollinator Habitat Restoration: Next steps Pollinator Habitat Restoration: Next steps

Expanding project support:

• Port of Portland 50-acre restoration and monitoring

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Further Information: Resource Center

Pollinator Conservation

Resource Center

Region-specific Information from

Xerces, Cooperative Extension,

USDA-NRCS, NGO, and other

sources, including:

• Regional plant Lists

• National plant lists

• Conservation Guides

• Nest construction guides

• Links to identification guides

• Pesticide Guidelines

• Native Plant Nursery Directory

• Pollinator Plant Seed Store

www.xerces.org/pollinator-

resource-center

Published in February 2011

“Attracting Native Pollinators belongs

on the bookshelf of everyone who

values the future of the natural world.”

- Douglas W. Tallamy, researcher and author of

Bringing Nature Home

“Precise, elegant and thoughtful, the

recommendations offered by the

Xerces Society will become essential

to advancing a healthy and diverse

food production system.”

- Gary Nabhan, author of The Forgotten Pollinators

and Renewing America’s Food Traditions

Further Information: Xerces Publications

http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center





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Thanks to our partners

Photo:s Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society)

FARMERS!

Thank you

Photo: Rollin Coville

Partners in conservation: farmers,

conservationists, scientists, and

the USDA NRCS

Financial support from USDA Natural Resources Conservation

Service (Conservation Innovation Grants)

Turner Foundation

CS Fund

Whole Foods Markets

Organic Valley

Organic Farm Research Foundation

The Ceres Foundation

Sarah K. de Coizart Article TENTH Perpetual

Charitable Trust.

Dudley Foundation

Bullitt Foundation

Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund

Richard and Rhoda Goldman Foundation

Panta Rhea Foundation

Gaia Fund

Bill Healy Foundation

Bradshaw-Knight Foundation

Xerces Society Members

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