<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18904"></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bgColor=#ffffff text=#000000>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Kudos to the NRCS's media folks in California for getting this
excellent news coverage of their work at the Lockeford PMC and elsewhere in
California to promote hedgerows.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>**********************************************</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>From: Fox Business News</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/california-new-haven-hedgerows-bloom/"><FONT
size=2>http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/california-new-haven-hedgerows-bloom/</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Friday, May 07, 2010</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<H1 xmlns:functx="http://www.functx.com"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><FONT size=4>California is New Haven for
Hedgerows: in Full Bloom Now</FONT></H1>
<DIV id=vcs-div-1 xmlns:functx="http://www.functx.com"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<DIV class=rateRec>
<P><FONT size=2>Comtex</FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<STYLE type=text/css xmlns:functx="http://www.functx.com"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
.ybuzz { float: right; margin-top: -4px; margin-left: -2px; } // get ybuzz li to show up properly on the right
</STYLE>
<DIV style="Z-INDEX: 99999" class=socShare xmlns:functx="http://www.functx.com"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<UL><FONT size=2></FONT></UL></DIV>
<DIV class="clear flat" xmlns:functx="http://www.functx.com"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><FONT size=2>DAVIS, Calif., May 7, 2010
/PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ---- If USDA and the Xerces Society have their way, long
rows of native wildflowers, clovers and blooming shrubs could border
agricultural fields all across California. Currently the concept is in full
bloom at USDA's Plant Materials Center (PMC) near Lockeford, Calif., where the
partners hope to demonstrate to farmers and the public both the beauty and the
practical benefits of planting forbs such as California poppies, lupines, baby
blue eyes, clovers and other flowering plants on the edges of fields, orchards
or vineyards. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)" id=articleCont
xmlns:functx="http://www.functx.com" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<P><FONT size=2></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>"It's no secret that honey bees have been having a hard time
lately," says Mace Vaughan, Pollinator Program Director for Xerces. "Native bees
can work alongside the domesticated honey bees to pollinate the cornucopia of
fruits, vegetables and nuts grown in California. Having flowers blooming from
February to November will provide food and habitat for native pollinators honey
bees alike." </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>California leads the Nation in adopting the practice of
field-side hedgerows and last year accounted for half of all those developed in
the United States. In 2009, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) and farmers developed 57 miles of hedgerows - enough to string these
colorful "bed and breakfasts for pollinators" from Merced to Fresno. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>Margaret Smither-Kopperl, the newly-hired manager of the PMC, is
originally from England. While California farmers are leading the adoption curve
in the U.S., Smither-Kopperl says that hedgerows have been common in England for
hundreds, sometimes thousands of years. While originally serving as a type of
fencing, they also host wildlife and pollinators and include berries and
medicinal plants. "You can even date the age of the hedges by the number of
species they host," she says. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>U.S. farmers in California and elsewhere have been using
hedgerows planted with native species for more than a decade now in order to
provide habitat for beneficial insects that can help control crop pests. Thomas
Moore, state biologist with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, says
that incorporating forbs into the hedgerow mix can create dense plantings that
can outcompete field-bordering weeds, while supporting pest management and
pollination. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>NRCS and Xerces, a non-profit looking out for the well being of
invertebrates, are working to design mixes of species that they hope will be
grown at NRCS Plant Materials Centers across the Nation. "Our hope is to develop
easy-to-follow prescriptions of species that farmers and ranchers could adapt
for their specific needs," says Moore. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>Several Resource Conservation Districts and other partners
throughout the state are working with NRCS and Xerces to demonstrate how
hedgerows are beneficial for different crops and locations throughout
California. The NRCS can share the cost of building hedgerows for eligible
farmers and ranchers. Field offices statewide can provide more information or go
to www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov. To view a short YouTube video on
California pollinators, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0hyih9TBq8.
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>SOURCE USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service </FONT></P><PRE><FONT size=2>Copyright (C) 2010 PR Newswire. All rights reserved</FONT></PRE></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
<BR>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18904"></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bgColor=#ffffff text=#000000>
<DIV><FONT size=1><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT
size=1>______________________________________________________</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><STRONG>The Xerces Society for Invertebrate
Conservation</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>The Xerces Society is an international
nonprofit organization that </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>protects wildlife through the conservation of
invertebrates and their </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>habitat. </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=1>To </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>join the Society, make a
</FONT></FONT><FONT size=1>contribution</FONT><FONT size=1>, </FONT><FONT
size=1>or read about our </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>work, </FONT><FONT size=1>please visit </FONT><FONT size=1><A
href="http://www.xerces.org">www.xerces.org</A>.</FONT></FONT><FONT
size=1></DIV></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Matthew Shepherd</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Senior Conservation Associate</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>4828 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215,
USA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Tel: 503-232 6639 Cell: 503-807 1577 Fax: 503-233
6794</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Email: </FONT><A href="mailto:mdshepherd@xerces.org"><FONT
size=1>mdshepherd@xerces.org</FONT></A><FONT size=1> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT
size=1>______________________________________________________</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>