LCAS Program Meeting: Gardening for the Bees (& Birds)

This program is available for viewing on YouTube. Tuesday Feb 27 at 7pm  the topic was “Gardening for the Bees & Birds” By now you’ve probably heard about the “insect apocalypse” and how many of our pollinators are in decline, some seriously so. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about this subject in a presentation by  Xerces Society Ambassador: Dave Kollen.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is a 51-year-old, global organization devoted to the conservation of invertebrates with active programs focused on pollinators, pesticide-use reduction, pollinator-friendly agricultural practices, and outreach and education. February’s program will provide you with valuable information about our most important pollinators and how you can select plants and adopt practices that maximally support them. The major topics to be discussed are:

• Introduction to pollinators and their importance in natural systems and our food system
• Native bee diversity and natural history
• Some butterfly and moth natural history
• Threats facing pollinators
• How we can play a role in pollinator conservation, both in general and in our own landscapes and communities

For those interested in going above and beyond these topics, opportunities to get involved in community science activities will be covered.

Dave Kollen grew up east of Salem (Mount Angel), but spent much of his time in Austin, Texas. He and his wife moved to Brookings nine years ago. With a B.S. in Physics and an M.B.A in International Business, Dave may seem like a surprising choice to talk about pollinators. However, from a young age he always loved nature and biology, being particularly fascinated by ants and their complex societies.

After retiring from the tech industry, Dave earned an Oregon Master Naturalist certification and participated in community science in the areas of beached-bird surveys and the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas. Subsequent to that he was accepted into the Xerces Society Ambassador program. A growing interest in bees led him to become a certified Master Melittologist through OSU Extension and the Oregon Bee Atlas, where he continues as a volunteer. In his “spare” time he also writes pollinator-focused articles for the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs newsletter, Mahonia.

Join the Lane County Audubon Society for this informative presentation on February 27 at the Campbell Center, 155 High Street, at 7:00 (6:30 doors open for some social time).