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Publications Library

As a science-based organization, the Xerces Society produces dozens of publications annually, all of which employ the best available research to guide effective conservation efforts. Our publications range from guidelines for land managers, to brochures offering overviews of key concepts related to invertebrate conservation, from books about supporting pollinators in farmland, to region-specific plant lists. We hope that whatever you are seeking—whether it's guidance on making a home or community garden pollinator-friendly, advice on developing a local pesticide reduction strategy, or detailed information on restoring habitat—you will find it here!

 

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Use the search functions to sort by publication type (books, guidelines, fact sheets, etc.), location, and/or subject (agriculture, gardens, pollinators, pesticides, etc.).

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(N Extension EC1564)
Nebraska is home to 20 species of bumble bees that play a critical role in sustaining the health of our environment. This pocket guide is intended to aid community scientists in identifying bumble bees without a microscope.
Site preparation is one of the most important and often inadequately addressed components for successfully installing pollinator habitat. These guidelines provide step-by-step instructions, helpful suggestions, and regional timelines & checklists for preparing both small and large sites
Essays on Invertebrate Conservation
Xerces Society staff share a passion for protecting insects and other invertebrates, but also a fascination with the diverse and intriguing behaviors of the animals that we work with. This issue of Wings looks at some of the ways in which we interact with insects as well as ways that we collaborate with individuals and communities to make conservation a success.
How to Create Habitat for Stem-Nesting Bees
Help us save the stems for native bees—share this brochure with friends, family, and neighbors. This 1/3-page brochure explains the nesting cycle for solitary stem-nesting bees and how to protect them (and their nests) year-round.
Visitor Etiquette for Sustainable Firefly Tourism
This easy-print Visitor’s Etiquette Guide can be displayed or distributed by site managers and volunteers before events to promote sustainable firefly tourism. Three copies can be printed on a single sheet of letter paper using a small office printer, making it easy to share with participants before and during events. Also available in Spanish, French, and Simplified Chinese.
Plant Ecology, Seed Production Methods, and Habitat Restoration Opportunities
Milkweeds: A Conservation Practitioner’s Guide provides conservation professionals with information about optimizing milkweed seed production methods, offers guidance on incorporating milkweeds into restoration and revegetation efforts, and highlights milkweeds’ unique characteristics and value to wildlife. Native seed producers, restoration practitioners, land managers, monarch conservationists, gardeners, and landowners will all find this guide valuable.
Enhancing Our Communities by Supporting Native Pollinators in Our Parks and Other Public Spaces

Plants and wildlife, including pollinators, can thrive in the seemingly inhospitable environment of towns and cities. Studies done from around the country have shown that dozens of species of bees can be found in gardens and parks in areas that are dominated by hardscapes such as Berkeley, California, and East Harlem in New York. In some cases, towns and cities are also important strongholds for rare species like the rusty patched bumble bee. 

Protecting Aquatic Ecosystems

This fact sheet explores how ubiquitous insecticide seed treatments threaten water quality throughout the Midwest, focusing on the most commonly used neonicotinoid insecticides. It also discusses how disposal of excess treated seed can impact waterways and communities, and how we can all address these threats.

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) worked with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to develop this report, which synthesizes the scientific literature and existing best management practices for monarch butterflies along with input from a survey of monarch experts and a survey of EPRI members. Monarch experts were surveyed to identify the relative benefit of specific conservation actions for monarchs as well as to provide opinions on the opportunities for power companies to engage in monarch conservation.

A Guide for Site Managers

Firefly tourism is on the rise in the United States. Of the more than 150 species of fireflies that occur in the US, at least five species—including the synchronous fireflies Photinus carolinus and Photuris frontalis—are of tourism interest. While this can be a boon to local economies and help more people to experience the wonder of fireflies, it also presents challenges.