Pollinator Habitat Restoration Strategies Workshop for Urban Landscapes
Pollinator Habitat Restoration Strategies Workshop for Urban Landscapes
The Nature Conservancy
Portland, OR
Wednesday, December 11th, 2019
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM PST
This workshop shall provide the latest and most effective approaches for the restoration of pollinator habitat within the diverse urban settings of the Portland, Oregon metro region. From roadsides to drainages, parklands, brownfields, backyards and beyond, Mace Vaughn and Matthew Shepherd of the Xerces Society shall educate attendees about the sustainable restoration of pollinator habitat in this challenging urban setting.
As highlighted in a recent Newsweek article, native pollinator species from throughout North America face ever increasing threats that have driven many populations to the brink of extinction. Given that functional ecosystems cannot sustain themselves in the absence of native pollinators, restoration of these species and their related habitats are crucial for the survival of a plethora of species across the spectrum of trophic levels. Please join us for this important and informative conservation program.
A registration fee of $30 is applied to offset a small portion of workshop expenses. A limited number of no-fee registrations are available for those unable to afford the registration fee. Please contact David Sabaj Stahl at ejs.stahl@aol.com for inquiries concerning program organization.
This program has been organized by the Society for Ecological Restoration Northwest Chapter. Grants supporting this program were provided by the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, The Nature Conservancy-Oregon, and the Society for Ecological Restoration Northwest Chapter.
Course Agenda:
Introduction of speakers, the importance of pollinators, pollinator decline and the threats they face
Overview of pollinator ecology and core habitat needs to be considered when making restoration or habitat management decisions.
- Sociality, nesting, forage, and overwintering habitat of native pollinators
- Overview of butterfly habitat elements
- Forage, host plants and overwintering habitat of native pollinators
Break
Opportunities for incorporating pollinator habitat elements and management considerations into Portland metro urban landscapes
- Roadsides, rights of ways, river banks, parklands, commercial/residential landscapes, brownfields, etc
- Discussion of connectivity and importance of partial habitats in a diverse urban landscape
Overview of tools and resources that can aid in pollinator restoration and management efforts for the Portland metro region
- Pollinator Habitat Assessment Guides
- Federal Highway Administration tools and roadside management guides and related tools
Discussion and questions
Instructors
Mace Vaughan, Pollinator Program Co-Director, The Xerces Scoiety
Mace Vaughan serves as the Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Program Co-Director and a Joint Pollinator Conservation Specialist to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) West National Technology Support Center in Portland, Oregon. Mace has led Xerces’ Pollinator Conservation Program since 2003 and has acted as Joint Pollinator Conservation Specialist to the NRCS since 2008. In his tenure at the Xerces Society, the pollinator program has grown from a small pilot project on California farms to a national program implementing pollinator conservation projects across the US. Mace co-leads a team of 25 pollinator conservation specialists and several consultants across the U.S., and now helps to supervise the world’s largest pollinator conservation team.
Matthew Shepherd, Director of Communications and Outreach, The Xerces Society
Matthew has worked for the Xerces Society since 1999, initially at the vanguard of a new movement to protect pollinators, and subsequently on endangered species and a range of other projects. He has been editor of Wings since the fall 1999 issue, and in recent years his role shifted into communications full time as the Society grew.