[Pollinator] 2022 NAPPC Awards Media Advisory

[Reed Lievers]

*Full Press Release with Photos at - *
https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator.org/assets/generalFiles/2022-NAPPC-Awards-Media-Advisory.pdf

*The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) Provides
Recognition to Pollinator Advocates, Farmer-Ranchers, Roadside Managers,
and Electric Power Companies in 2022 Award Ceremony *

On October 18, 2022, this year’s award winners from the United States,
Canada, and Mexico were honored by Pollinator Partnership and the *North
American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC)* during the NAPPC
Conference Award Ceremony hosted at the United State Botanic Garden in
Washington, DC. By recognizing individuals and organizations that have
contributed significantly to the promotion and conservation of pollinator
species, NAPPC aims to encourage their activities and inspire future
actions in support of pollinators.

NAPPC is a collaborative body of diverse partners, including respected
scientists, researchers, private sector stakeholders, conservationists and
government officials working to find common ground to catalyze
groundbreaking initiatives that benefit pollinators.

“This year’s awardees display a unique and admirable dedication to the
protection of all pollinating species and their habitats. As we celebrate
their work, we hope others will be inspired by their tremendous efforts to
support pollinators,” says Kelly Bills, Executive Director of Pollinator
Partnership, which founded and facilitates NAPPC.

A brief description of award winners and their actions follows:

*2022 NAPPC Pollinator Advocate – United States*
*Maraleen Manos-Jones* of *Manos de las Mariposas* has been contributing to
pollinator conservation since 1978 when she brought home a monarch
butterfly that laid over 100 eggs. Since then, Maraleen has traveled
between Mexico and the United States to observe and tag overwintering
monarchs. While camping with the monarchs in Mexico, Maraleen developed
strong relationships with the mountain people. Vowing to protect both the
monarchs and local communities, her passion for environmental activism
blossomed. Maraleen uses her M.A. in Teaching to educate communities in
Canada and the U.S. of the importance of pollinator conservation and the
pervasive threats they face. She has also authored the book The Spirit of
the Butterflies: Myth, Magic, & Art, unifying her passions for art,
science, technology, and knowledge sharing. Maraleen has contributed to
pesticide research, pollinator friendly roadside management practices, and
the implementation of model pollinator gardens in New York. For the past 18
years, she has operated a pollinator garden open to the public that aims to
educate and inspire visitors, hoping to galvanize conservation measures at
the community level.

*2022 NAPPC Pollinator Advocate – Mexico*
*Hector Avila* is a conservation biologist located in the state of
Aguascalientes in central Mexico. He was surrounded by plants and animals
while growing up in the plains of the Chihuahuan Desert, cultivating his
passion for nature at a young age. After noticing the scarcity of native
wildflower seed producers in Mexico, Hector founded Cosmos Semillas
Nativas, the first native wildflower seed producer in the country. Hector
and his company produce eight species of wildflower seeds that enhance
pollinator habitat in the xeric landscapes of central and northern Mexico.
He is determined to make native wildflower seeds more available to food
producers and the public for habitat restoration by participating in the
development of Mexico's National Strategy for the Conservation and
Sustainable Use of Pollinators. Locally, hector participates in radio and
T.V. interviews, lectures at schools discussing biodiversity and
pollinators, and leads environmental outreach events such as pollinator
education stands at local fairs. Hector has distributed more than 6,000
wildflower seed bombs among beekeepers to promote beekeepers and create
pollinator patches. He also established wildflower strips in strawberry
crops for 11 producers in the states of Guanajuato and Michoacán, Mexico.

*2022 NAPPC Pollinator Advocate- Canada *
*Myriam Parent* is a professional musician and owner of *Withbloom
Pollinator Gardens*, a business that specializes in education,
consultations, and landscaping for indigenous plant and bee habitat on
Lekwugen Territory. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge of
pollinators and their associated native plants with her community. Myriam
gets the people of Victoria, British Columbia excited about pollinator
conservation by leading biweekly workshops on indigenous bees, educating
participants on how to enhance bee habitat on their property. Her generous
donations of time and compassion through workshops and the creation of
numerous pollinator gardens has ripple effects throughout her community,
catalyzing widespread public engagement and significant urban pollinator
conservation.

*2022 NAPPC Farmers and Ranchers- United States*
*Bas Rouge Farm and Forge* is owned and operated by Glenn and Ivonne
Vasquez of Orono, Maine. Bas Rouge Farm and Forge began as a homestead and
has grown into a diversified farm that fulfills their mission to encourage
sustainable gardening. Their native plant nursery strives to educate
visitors on the impact native plant communities have on sustaining vital
pollinators in the region. Bas Rouge promotes the persistence of pollinator
habitat through their several workshops centered around sustainable
gardening and native plant sales. Their Native Plants for Pollinators
gardening class educates attendants on the importance of native plants,
shrubs, and trees on the lifecycle of significant pollinators such as
bumblebees, small native bees, and fauna.

*2022 NAPPC Farmers and Ranchers- Canada*
*Persephone Brewing Company* located in Gibsons, British Columbia makes
sustainable brewing and local food security a priority when crafting their
award-winning beers. Persephone is a certified B-Corporation and obtained
their Bee Friendly Farming Certification from Pollinator Partnership.
Partnered with TELUS Agriculture, Persephone Brewing Company contributes to
pollinator awareness and conservation through their mission to brew the
most sustainable and traceable beer. TELUS Agriculture synergizes
technology and data to increase the traceability of all ingredients used in
the brewing process to promote the economic, environmental, and social
sustainability of their local food system. The Pollinator Pilsner is a
notable outcome of TELUS Agriculture and Persephone Brewing Company’s
collaboration, made with traceable barley, certified organic hops, and
locally sourced honey.

*2022 NAPPC Roadside Management *
*Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)* has made long strides in its
efforts to promote pollinator conservation since the 1990s. The agency is
determined to create high-quality pollinator habitat through its
Beautification and Pollinator Habitat Program to take advantage of the
numerous opportunities available to enhance and establish pollinator
habitat along the state’s 19,000 miles of roadside. After adjusting its
seed mixture, ODOT created Ohio’s preferred roadside seed pollinator seed
mix that includes warm season grasses and 12 forbs. ODOT maintains 260,000
acres of right of way for pollinators. ODOT installed a Pollinator Habitat
Education Center at its Interstate 75 Welcome Center near the Ohio/Michigan
border that includes a 1/3-acre native species demonstration garden,
interpretive signage, and a one-acre oak savannah. In 2016, ODOT released
its Statewide Roadside Pollinator Habitat Program Restoration Guidelines
and Best Management Practices manual that guides district managers in
maintaining and establishing pollinator habitat. ODOT collaborates with
local, state, and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and private
partnerships to maintain its successful management of roadsides for
pollinator needs.

*2022 NAPPC Pollinator Electric Power*
The *Disney Solar Pollinator Project* supports Disney’s sustainability
goals to drastically improve the company’s carbon footprint by including a
50% net reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 compared to 2012 levels.
Disney worked with ORIGIS Energy USA, Duke Energy, Reedy Creek Improvement
District, and Reedy Creek Energy Services to bring two solar facilities
online to achieve their goal. The installation of two solar facilities
provides valuable habitat for pollinators and opportunities for further
research regarding solar panel impacts on native bees. The project’s
designated research meadow will be maintained indefinitely and aims to
increase the acreage of native flowering plant cover in and around the
arrays. The Citrus Ridge Solar plant covers approximately 270 acres of land
and produces 52 megawatts of power. The Mickey Solar Array covers
approximately 22 acres and produces 5 megawatts of power. Disney uses the
solar facilities to educate and inspire children enrolled in the Disney
Summer Conservation Camp in addition to engaging Disney cast members and
guests in citizen science programs. Information about pollinator award
winners from 2022 and previous years is available at
http://pollinator.org/awards.

*ABOUT POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP (P2) AND THE NORTH AMERICAN POLLINATOR
PROTECTION CAMPAIGN (NAPPC)*
Established in 1997, Pollinator Partnership, a 501(c)3 headquartered in San
Francisco, California, was incorporated in 1997. P2’s mission is to promote
the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through
conservation, education, and research. Visit www.pollinator.org for more
information.

P2 facilitates NAPPC, a tri-national collaboration working to promote
awareness and scientific understanding of pollinators; to gather, organize
and disseminate information about pollinators; to provide a forum to
identify and discuss pollinator issues; and to promote projects,
initiatives and activities that enhance pollinators. NAPPC's mission is to
encourage the health of resident and migratory pollinating animals in North
America. NAPPC partners gather from throughout the North American continent
to raise public awareness and education and promote constructive dialogue
about pollinators’ importance to agriculture, ecosystem health, and food
supplies. NAPPC encourages collaborative, working partnerships among
participants and with federal, state and local government entities. The
annual conference strengthens the network of associated organizations
working on behalf of pollinators to promote conservation, protection and
restoration of habitat, and to document and support scientific, economic
and policy research. Information about NAPPC, including past
accomplishments and highlights of past NAPPC conferences, is available at
http://pollinator.org/nappc.
<https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator.org/assets/generalFiles/2022-NAPPC-Awards-Media-Advisory.pdf>

--

Reed Lievers (he/him)

Program Associate
Pollinator Partnership
600 Montgomery Street, Suite 440
San Francisco, CA 94111

e:  reed at pollinator.org

w:  www.pollinator.org
o:  415.362.1137

c:  760.715.0430

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