This month we are excited to have the Director of Communications & Outreach for The Xerces Society with us to deliver what is sure to be a wonderful presentation on pollinators and what we can do to protect and restore their populations. See below for a description of the talk Matthew will be presenting and some information on his impressive background in this field.
Bring Back the Pollinators!
Bees are struggling due to habitat loss, pesticides, and disease, but the good news is that there are things we can do to make our landscape better for bees—and if we all do something, together we can have a big impact. Matthew Shepherd of the Xerces Society will introduce you to the diversity and natural history of North America’s native bees, and present straightforward ways in which you can make your garden—or neighborhood or city—a pollinator haven. Find out how to select flowers, provide nest sites, and why you should avoid pesticides. There are also community science projects to join in and other ways to engage your community.
Matthew Shepherd
Director of Communications & Outreach, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Matthew Shepherd has spent more than thirty years working with people from all walks of life to create better places for wildlife. Matthew’s career began in England and took him to Kenya before his arrival in the United States two decades ago. He has worked for the Xerces Society since 1999, initially at the vanguard of a national effort to protect pollinators, but now focused on communications, community engagement, and urban conservation. Matthew is author of numerous articles and other publications and coauthor of books, including Attracting Native Pollinators (Storey Publishing, 2011) and Gardening for Butterflies (Timber Press, 2016). He learned gardening at his mother’s side and has created and maintained wildlife gardens everywhere he has lived.
We hope to see you there!
