Western Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course

Western Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course

Summary

The Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course is a full day Professional Development Program on basic pollinator biology, native bee identification, bee-friendly farm management practices, designing and implementing habitat enhancements, and how to use NRCS programs for pollinator conservation. The Short Course is being offered in all Western SARE states except California and Oregon (where we have already conducted similar trainings), with collaboration by multiple partner organizations, including academic institutions, Cooperative Extension, the NRCS, and others.

This Short Course is designed in response to the highly-publicized loss of pollinators resulting from habitat loss, pesticide use, and other factors, and it will support greater crop security for producers of bee pollinated crops, such as fruits, vegetables, oilseeds and forage seed crops.

In response to those declines, the current Farm Bill offers support for the creation and protection of wildflower plantings and pollinator nest site sites through programs administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The knowledge necessary to implement those programs, however, has not yet been fully developed at the field office level. By providing training to NRCS staff and other farm educators, such as Cooperative Extension personnel, state departments of agriculture and natural resources, crop consultants, and others, we are filling that void.

Objectives/Performance Targets

The Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course will train more than 200 farmer educators and conservation planners in 11 states in adapting farm practices for pollinator conservation on 20,000 acres of land and to assist farmers with enrollment in NRCS administered conservation programs.

Accomplishments/Milestones

During the reporting period, we conducted 10 Short Courses in 5 states that were attended by 449 participants. The primary audiences at these events were staff from the NRCS, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Extension, as well as a number of individual farmers, researchers, master gardeners, naturalists, and beekeepers. Half of these Short Courses were supported by leveraged non-SARE funds, allowing us to exceed our 2011 target by five additional events, providing more accessibility and more learning opportunities for SARE constituent audiences.

Specific accomplishments include:

Colorado
On June 28, 2011, we held a Short Course in Fort Morgan for 49 people at the Morgan Community College. The Course included an additional overview of the new Pollinator Conservation Practice Standard (CP-42) offered through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This additional training was lead by a Farm Service Agency biologist working on CRP issues in Colorado where more than 20,000 CRP acres have been enrolled in CP-42.

Two days later, on June 30, 2011, we conducted a second Colorado Short Course in La Junta. This event was supported with leveraged non-SARE funds, however Western SARE was promoted as a primary sponsor. Thirty people attended the training at Otero Junior College, with strong representation by local NRCS staff as well as the Olney Boone and Arkansas Valley Conservation Districts.

Idaho
On June 22, 2011, more than 30 people attended the Short Course at the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center in Aberdeen. Participants included various Conservation District and NRCS staff (including the Idaho NRCS state Biologist), as well as representatives from the native seed industry. As part of the Short Course, participants toured demonstration pollinator habitat developed at the Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, conducted an in-field habitat assessment exercise designed to build skills in farm management for native bees, and observed first-hand native plant restoration practices for dryland Great Basin conditions.

New Mexico
On May 10, 2011, we held a Short Course at the USDA-NRCS Los Lunas Plant Materials Center. Forty people attended the event, including staff from the NRCS, New Mexico State University, various farmers, as well as the East Rio Arriba and Valencia Soil and Water Conservation Districts. As part of the Short Course, the following day, May 11, we held a complimentary workshop titled, Field Techniques for Wildflower Establishment at the Los Lunas Plant Materials Center. That event was attended by 25 people and included hands-on demonstration and instruction on how to establish native plants using conventional farm field equipment (cultivators, drill seeders, and mechanical transplanters). Most of the participants in this workshop attended the previous day’s Short Course.

The following day, on May 12, 2011, 25 people attended our Short Course at the historic Los Luceros hacienda in Alcalde. This second New Mexico Short Course was supported with leveraged non-SARE funds, however Western SARE was publicized as a primary sponsor.

Washington
On June 6, 2011, 60 people attended the Short Course we conducted at the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center in Pullman at the Washington State University campus. Attendees included various farmers as well as staff from local Conservation Districts, the NRCS, FSA, and a number of Master Naturalists and Extension Educators. Participants conducted an in-field pollinator habitat assessment and farm planning for bee conservation exercise, toured demonstration wildflower plantings and flowering cover crops for pollinator conservation, and hand-pollinated alfalfa to understand the management requirements for seed production.

The next day, on June 7, 2011, we held a second Washington Short Course at the Wenatchee Valley Community College for 49 people in Wenatchee. The Course was attended by farmers, including local members of the Washington Apple Growers Association, community college farm educators, NRCS staff, and various conservation district personnel from across central Washington. This second Washington Short Course was supported with leveraged non-SARE funds, however Western SARE was publicized as a primary sponsor.

On December 9, 2011, we conducted a third Washington Short Course at the Washington State University Agricultural Experiment Research Station in Mt. Vernon. More than 100 people attended, including NRCS and conservation districts staff from across western WA, farmer-members of Tilth Producers of WA and Seattle Tilth, WSU Extension personnel, faculty and grad students from the University of Washington, US Forest Service biologists, and more than a dozen farmers from nearby British Columbia. The event was also publicized by the Seattle Times and in various local farm organization newsletters. This third Washington Short Course was supported with leveraged non-SARE funds, however Western SARE was publicized as a primary sponsor.

Utah
On September 14, 2011, we held a Short Course in St. George in collaboration with the Utah NRCS. Thirty-five people attended the course, including a diverse audience of state and federal agency biologists including the Utah NRCS State Resource Conservationist, various non-profit sustainable agriculture organizations, and students and professors from Dixie State College.

The next day, on September 15, 2011, we conducted another Short Course in Richfield. Thirty people attended the training, including staff from the NRCS, various Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Bureau of Land Management. This second Utah Short Course was supported with leveraged non-SARE funds, however Western SARE was publicized as a primary sponsor.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

We continue to experience great success with our existing outreach efforts and saw a rapidly rising interest in the conservation of native pollinators. We believe the reason for this interest is both due to the ongoing plight of managed and native pollinators, as well as the fact that bee conservation provides an accessible framework for achieving other conservation objectives. More than 449 people participated in the Short Course in 2011—significantly more than our original target of 150 participants for the year.

Through this project, we continue to impact the way that farm educators incorporate pollinator conservation into their work. Specifically, based upon post event questionnaires for 2011, 91% of participants said that the Short Course changed how they would advise farmers on management practices to support pollinators. Among those reporting, 67% plan on recommending pesticide reduction or pesticide mitigation strategies to the farmers they work with. Most of those same educators (66%) reported that they will work with farmers to identify tillage reduction strategies to protect ground-nesting bees and recommend the conservation of other nesting habitat on farms. Finally, 77% of farm educators will recommend supplementing non-crop areas with native pollen and nectar resources to support pollinators and other beneficial insects.

While the Short Course specifically targets farm educators and farm agency staff, a number of farmers attended each event. Among them, 98% said that attending the Short Course changed how they would support pollinators on their farms. Of these, 83% reported that they will look for opportunities to supplement non-crop areas with additional pollen and nectar resources. Twenty-two of the farmers who participated report that they will apply for financial and technical support in creating more pollinator habitat through USDA conservation programs. Several farmers attending already are enrolled in such programs and will use the information gained from the training to help them implement those existing projects.

Finally, specific feedback from Short Course participants is consistently and overwhelming positive. Examples of specific comments included:

“Excellent workshop. I expected more about how to apply/implement buffers/habitat projects and feel I got that info.”
– Conservation District Staff, Washington

“My expectations were more than fulfilled – great presentation. Mace is perfect for what he does. His love of the subject is contagious.”
– Landowner, New Mexico

“Everything was really great. I work for NRCS and have to implement pollinator habitats and received little training – this was exactly what I needed. Thank you!”
-NRCS Field Conservationist, Washington

“I liked the entire presentation. Jennifer was very knowledgeable and presented the info in a very organized manner.”
-NRCS Field Conservationist, Colorado

“I learned many things that I feel will help as I work with agricultural producers and give guidance to them.”
-Conservation District staff, Washington

“I came away with an increased understanding of pollinator behavior and needs, and am better [able to] assist landowners and promote pollinator conservation. Expectations were fulfilled!”
-Conservation District Employee, Colorado

“I was hoping to learn more about establishing pollinator habitats using native plants (in schoolyards). My expectations were fulfilled, this was a great course! :)”
– Biology Teacher, Washington

“I was hoping to be better able to advise people when they ask me what to plant to encourage bee populations. I feel this was met and exceeded! Great job! Thanks for coming to Colorado!”
– Extension Educator, Colorado

Unanticipated Challenges
No negative unplanned challenges have arisen during the reporting period. Our ability to organize and deliver Short Courses continues to be strong. The single unanticipated challenge we have faced is a larger than expected interest in Short Course enrollment. This overwhelmingly positive response to our work has been the most validating endorsement of pollinator conservation possible. However, it has resulted in an over-extension of staff resources. In our proposal, we budgeted for a maximum of 30 participants at each event (based upon previous experience outside the Western region). The actual number of registrants has exceeded that anticipated target at nearly every event, but we have been able to accommodate many more participants with funds leveraged from additional sources. Because of our commitment to pollinator conservation as a framework for bridging the needs of wildlife with the needs of sustainable agriculture, we are actively exploring additional opportunities to expand our outreach and technical support capacities.

Collaborators: