June 21, 2017

More than 160 events across North America have been organized and registered through Pollinator Partnership's Pollinator Week webpage for this 10th consecutive observance of Pollinator Week, June 19-25.
"As we celebrate Pollinator Week this year, we certainly focus on the pollinators that contribute so significantly to the biodiversity of our nation's wild lands and working landscapes, but in a more fundamental way, we also commend and honor
the partnerships that have made for such important public policy successes over the years," said Val Dolcini, president and CEO of Pollinator Partnership.
Dolcini assumed leadership of the Pollinator Partnership on June 1, 2017. Most recently, Dolcini served as Farm Service Agency administrator.
"Val’s leadership and experience are unparalleled and provide a clear focus on both the environment and agriculture, two essential areas of pollinator conservation. He will provide a strong presence for the Pollinator Partnership in the nation’s capital, but also in his home state of California, across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and beyond," said Steve Shestag, director of Environment at the Boeing Company and Pollinator Partnership Board Chair.
Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, birds and other animals, make possible 1 in 3 bites of food. While overwintering numbers for both honey bees and monarchs are up slightly, the news the is grim for the once prominent rusty-patched bumble bee, which has been listed as endangered in the U.S. and Canada.
Pollinator poster
Pollinator Week showcases a new pollinator poster for the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC). This 2017 poster, "The Monarch Highway," was designed by Stephanie Law, an Oakland-based artist. The poster highlights the vital role that roadside habitats like the I-35 corridor can play in supporting monarchs as they travel between overwintering grounds and summer breeding habitat. The poster is available at http://www.pollinator.org/poster2017.
Mite-A-Thon
Also announced this Pollinator Week is a collaborative effort that will urge the monitoring of honey bee hives across North America during the week of Sept. 9-16 in an effort to measure the level of Varroa mite infestation.
The “Mite-A-Thon” coincides with the 30th anniversary of the discovery of Varroa destructor in North America.
“We are hoping that the Mite-A- Thon drives an interest in hive monitoring just before the important overwintering season. Our Canadian partners have outstanding research that mite-free hives fair better – we are hoping to bring support for fulfilling one of the federal pollinator strategy goals – reducing the overwintering deaths of honey bees,” said P2’s Executive Director Emeritus Laurie Davies Adams. Beekeeping organizations and beekeepers are invited to participate; contact mailto:[email protected] to get more information.
Source: Pollinator Partnershipcrops
You May Also Like