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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal">Hello all,</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">The Xerces Society is pleased to announce the release of </span><i>Milkweeds: A Conservation Practitioner’s Guide</i>, a first-of-its kind manual on large-scale milkweed seed production, nursery propagation, and field restoration of the plants. The information in this comprehensive publication was gained firsthand through our <a href="http://www.xerces.org/milkweed">Project Milkweed</a>, gathered from interviews with native plant nurseries and seed producers, and synthesized from scientific literature.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">This guide provides conservation professionals with information about optimiz­ing milkweed seed production methods, offers guidance on incorporating milkweeds into restoration and revegetation efforts, and highlights milkweeds’ unique characteristics and value to wildlife. </span>Native seed producers, restoration practitioners, land managers, monarch conservationists, gardeners, and landowners will all find this guide valuable. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">You can download the guide as a PDF here: <a href="http://www.xerces.org/milkweeds-a-conservation-practitioners-guide/">http://www.xerces.org/milkweeds-a-conservation-practitioners-guide/</a>. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Featured topics include:</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>Milkweeds’ value to monarch butterflies, pollinators, and other beneficial insects; </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>Pollination ecology; </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>Tips for collecting foundation germplasm;</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>Methods for germinating seed and producing transplants;</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>Detailed guidelines for large-scale milkweed seed production, from field establishment through seed cleaning;</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>In-depth profiles of milkweed specialist insects;</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>Guidance on identifying and managing milkweed diseases;</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>Assessment of milkweed seed availability on a regional basis;</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>Opportunities to include milkweeds in monarch and pollinator habitat restoration efforts; and</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         </span></span></span>Regional recommendations of priority species for use in restoration. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Brianna Borders</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Plant Ecologist</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">1971 – 2011: Forty Years of Conservation!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">628 NE Broadway Suite 200, Portland, OR, 97232 USA</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:brianna@xerces.org" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">brianna@xerces.org</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Tel: (503) 232-6639, ext. 103</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Toll free: 1-855-232-6639, ext. 103</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Fax: (503) 233-6794</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Connect with Xerces via Facebook </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Xerces-Society/193182577358618" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="16" height="16" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01CF8FBE.D663B2D0" alt="Description: Description: FB_icon_small"></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Find all the information you need to conserve pollinator habitat at: </span><a href="http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">www.xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">To join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our work, please visit </span><a href="http://www.xerces.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">www.xerces.org/</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Buy our best-selling book! </span><a href="http://www.xerces.org/announcing-the-publication-of-attracting-native-pollinators/" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Attracting Native Pollinators. Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies</span></i></a></p>
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