2013 On-Farm Workshop
Importance of Biodiversity and Pollinators in Farming
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Speaker: Kelly Gill from Xerces/NRCS
Registration is now closed, but walk-ins are welcome!
$20 ~ CT NOFA and Audubon Greenwich Members
$30 ~ non members
613 Riversville Road
Presenter: Kelly Gill
Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Mid-Atlantic / Northeast Region
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
USDA-NRCS, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions
Pollination is an essential ecosystem service that bees provide to managed and natural landscapes. Native pollinators, most importantly wild bees, provide free pollination services and enhance farm production and profitability through increased yields and improvements in crop quality. Native Pollinators supplement services provided by managed pollinators and are an increasingly important resource in 21st century agriculture. Despite the value of pollination services, a growing body of evidence suggests both managed honey bee colonies and wild bee populations are in decline. Loss of habitat due to urbanization and agricultural expansion and pesticide use have negative impacts on bees. This workshop will provide you with the latest science-based approaches to reversing the trend of pollinator declines, and will equip you with the recipes necessary to protect and manage habitat for these vital insects.
- Understand the importance of pollinators
- Ability to identify ways of increasing and enhancing pollinator diversity on the land
- Ability to design and implement habitat improvements, such as native plant restoration and nest site enhancements
- Knowledge of the current best management practices that minimize land-use impacts on pollinators
- Overview of the Farm Bill pollinator conservation provisions and how to implement those provisions through USDA programs
Kelly is the Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions for the Xerces Society and a partner biologist with the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Kelly's position provides technical support for planning, installing, and managing pollinator habitat. A Pennsylvania native, Kelly recently completed her Master's Degree in Entomology at Iowa State University. There, she conducted small plot and farm scale research, collaborating with organic and conventional farmers, on the development of best practices for conserving beneficial insects in agricultural landscapes.
The Beginning Farmer Project of NOFA-NY Inc. is supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grants #2010-49400-21847 and #2011-49400-30510.