[Pollinator] Great Achievements in Pollinator Conservation - NAPPC 2013 Press Release

[Vicki Wojcik]

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Tom Van Arsdall  tva at pollinator.org  t: 703 509 4746

Kelly Rourke kr at pollinator.org t: 415.362.1137



 

Agriculture, pollinator health, and culture key issues at 2013 North
American Pollinator Protection Campaign Conference

 

Tuesday October 21, 2013

Washington, D.C.  -  Strategic actions to stem pollinator declines and
sustain our future were planned this week during brainstorming and
technology transfer session between leading pollinator scientists and other
stakeholders at the 13th Annual North American Pollinator Protection
Campaign (NAPPC) International Conference. 

 

Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that
pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three
bites of food. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural
resources by helping plants reproduce. Unfortunately, they are in trouble.
Some species have seen a 90% decline in their populations over the last
decade.  Without the actions of pollinators agricultural economies, our food
supply and surrounding landscapes would collapse. We would also lose the
cultural enrichment that our natural native landscapes provide.

 

Scientists; regulators; governmental and industry representatives; Native
American and First Nation Tribes; and global NGOs representing more than 140
stakeholders met October 22 and 24 in Washington D.C. to develop action
plans that address critical and current pollinator issues. The conference
was co-hosted by the Department of the Interior at the American Farm Bureau
Federation. Keynote addresses were given by renowned pollinator scientist
and author Dr. Gary Nabhan and Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service. Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife
and Parks, Michael Bean spoke on the need for policy to protect pollinators
and Chief of the U.S. Forest Service Tom Tidwell provided insight into how
balanced land management can support pollinator conservation in America’s
forests. 

 

The connections between healthy pollinator communities and food security
were a top concern in this year’s meeting, especially in light of the
continued declines in honey bee health and increasing pollination challenges
faced by farmers and beekeepers. Pesticide application and labeling and
guidelines, recent bee kills, food and forage availability for honey bees,
declines in conservation habitat within agricultural landscapes, and funding
much needed research on bee nutrition and interactions between honey bees
and native bees were all highlighted in task force working groups. A
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was also signed with the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), signifying concern for and dedication to healthy native
ecosystems that are supported by pollinators. The Pollinator Partnership
looks forward to continuing to work with BLM to create continued awareness
of the need for pollinators in natural landscapes.  

 

Each year NAPPC recognizes Pollinator Advocates for their extraordinary work
in awareness, habitat protection, and advocacy. A VIP reception was held at
the Organization of American States on Tuesday, October 22 to open the
annual conference and features the award ceremony. Beekeepers Virginia Webb
(USA) and Roque Arroyo Rodríguez (Mexico) received honors for their advocacy
within local honey beekeeping and stingless beekeeping communities. The
Alderville First Nation (Canada) was also honored for work in protecting
native savanna landscapes with a bottom-up approach that included ensuring
pollinator habitat conservation. Pollinator conservation and food security
intersect in our agricultural landscapes. Farmers Bryan and Cathy Gilvesy of
YU Ranch (Canada) and Josiah and Valer Austin of El Coronado Ranch and
Cuenca de los Ojos (USA) received the distinguished Farmer-Rancher Advocate
Award for their unique, on-the-ground approaches to pollinator conservation
and public engagement efforts that provide living examples of suitable
agrosystems. The Paul Growald Media Award went to Filmmaker and Director
Louie Schwartzberg in honor of his inspiring motion picture “Wings of Life.”

 

###

 

NAPPC is a collaborative effort of over 140 organizations in the U.S.,
Canada, and Mexico whose common goal is to promote awareness of the
essential role that pollinators play in food systems and ecosystems, and to
provide the public with simple, effective ways to engage in environmental
stewardship. Management, fiscal oversight and administration for NAPPC is
provided by the Pollinator Partnership.

 

The Pollinator Partnership is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization
headquartered in San Francisco, with offices and professional staff in
Washington D.C., Louisiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Montana, Ohio, Arizona,
Washington, and Toronto, Canada. The Pollinator Partnership is the largest
organization in the world dedicated exclusively to the protection and
promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems.

 

To learn more about the NAPPC and the Pollinator Partnership visit
<http://www.pollinator.org/nappc> www.pollinator.org or contact
<mailto:info at pollinator.org> info at pollinator.org or call 415-362-1137 for
more information. 

 

 

Victoria Wojcik, Ph.D.

 

Research Program Manager

Pollinator Partnership

423 Washington Street 5th Floor

San Francisco CA  94111

e: vw at pollinator.org

t: 415-362-1137

f: 415-362-3070

 

 <http://pollinator.org/SHARE.htm> 

 

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