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Press & Media

Press & Media

Xerces Society staff are respected as reliable sources of science-based advice at the forefront of invertebrate protection, and can provide information and perspective on all aspects of invertebrate conservation.

Our team includes nationally recognized experts on a range of issues, including insect declines, protecting endangered species, climate change impacts, pollinator conservation, pesticide risk, habitat creation, and wildlife gardening. We work to understand and protect insects and other invertebrates in all landscapes, from wildlands to backyards.

In each of the last three years, Xerces staff were quoted or our work was mentioned in thousands of media articles that reached over one billion people worldwide.

We’re happy to give media interviews. Please direct all inquiries to Matthew Shepherd, (503) 232-6639 or [email protected]. 

For general information about our work, please see our blog, publications, and other information on our website. Follow us on social media for the latest updates, as well.

Recent Press Releases

State Halts Production at Nebraska Ethanol Plant, Addressing Severe Pesticide Contamination

In a major victory for local residents and wildlife, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) issued an emergency order to stop wastewater discharge by an ethanol plant that is processing pesticide-treated seed. For over two years, residents of Mead have reported mysterious odors and strange illnesses in people and pets. Bees and other wildlife have also suffered. This has been linked to high levels of pesticide contamination from the ethanol plant.

Conservationists and California Fish and Game Commission Pursue Appeal to Ensure Legal Protections for Imperiled Bumble Bees

The Xerces Society, Center for Food Safety, and Defenders of Wildlife, represented by Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, announced they are appealing a November 2020 decision by the Sacramento County Superior Court that determined that the California Fish and Game Commission lacks authority to list four threatened bumble bee species as candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act.

Western Monarch Population Closer to Extinction; Still no Federal or State Protection in Sight

The Xerces Society today announced that only 1,914 monarch butterflies were recorded overwintering on the California coast this year. This critically low number follows two years with fewer than 30,000 butterflies—the previous record lows—indicating that the western monarch butterfly migration is nearing collapse. In only a few decades, a migration of millions has been reduced to less than two thousand butterflies.

New Issue of PNAS Lays Out the Case for Why We Should Take Action to Protect Insects

Eleven articles published in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers the most comprehensive look to date at the topic of insect decline and the ramifications of losing diversity, abundance and biomass of insects. Scott Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, is a coauthor on "Eight Simple Actions that Individuals can Take to Save Insects from Global Declines."

Much-Needed Federal Protection for America’s Beloved Monarch Butterfly Warranted, but Precluded

On Tuesday, 12/15/20, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that listing the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act is warranted, but precluded by other priorities. This decision does not provide the protection that monarchs, and especially the western population, so desperately need to recover.

For General Media Inquiries

Contact Matthew Shepherd

Phone: (503) 232-6639

Email: [email protected]

Xerces in the News

Check out our reach and view a listing of articles from around the world featuring the Xerces Society.