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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 Deborah Seiler, Director of Communications: (503) 212-0550, [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

A report released today by the Xerces Society shows a sharp two-decade decline in the number of monarchs which overwinter along the California coast and prioritizes the top 50 overwintering sites most in need of conservation and management attention.
Today, Day’s Edge Productions releases A Ghost In the Making: Searching for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, an enchanting short film about the disappearance of the rusty patched bumble bee and one man’s journey to find out what’s happened to it. After being received with acclaim at film festivals this spring, the film is now available for anyone to view online.
Last night, with a vote of 4 to 1, the City Council of Milwaukie, Oregon, passed a resolution to help protect and restore bees and other pollinators. The resolution will halt the use of neonicotinoids and other like insecticides on public property within city limits. Clackamas County’s integrated pest management plan will mirror the resolution, meaning the suspension of use will extend beyond city limits.
The latest count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico found that the population which will migrate to the United States rebounded again this year. Monarch numbers increased to 150 million from 42 million last year, according to data collected by the World Wildlife Fund Mexico and announced today. Today’s numbers show a substantial increase from the last two years (the two lowest years on record) but are still far below a number that most scientists consider sustainable. Scientists estimate the population size by counting the number of hectares of trees covered by monarchs, and found that 4.0 hectares were occupied this year. Researchers estimate that there are approximately 37.5 million monarchs per hectare.
Results from a survey of monarch butterfly overwintering sites in California show that there are more monarchs overwintering in the state this year than last. Volunteers with the Xerces Society’s Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count visited 187 sites and tallied a total of 271,924 monarchs. Although more monarchs were counted, the average number of monarchs per site is not significantly different than last year’s count, and this year’s population estimate represents a 39% decline from the long term average. The number of monarchs counted this year is but a fraction of the 1.2 million monarchs recorded in the late 90s.