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.).
Guidelines for Planning, Preparation, Design, Installation, and Maintenance
Native meadows, filled with perennial wildflower mosaics and waving grasses, are growing in popularity with property owners and designers because they provide benefits to people, pollinators, and wildlife while demonstrating sustainability values. These meadowscapes offer economic and ecological advantages over intensively managed horticultural landscapes. Seeded meadows are low-input alternatives to containerized plantings or certain turf spaces, and so they have a role to play in institutional, commercial, and multifamily residential projects.
Opportunities abound in cities, towns, and campuses to support bees, butterflies, and other wildlife. Many outdoor spaces—from parks and school grounds to roadsides and business campuses—can provide valuable pollinator habitat. Along with new habitat, pollinators need protection from pesticides. Thoughtful pest management efforts work to reduce pesticide use and mitigate risks when pesticides are used. Such efforts can enhance the value of pollinator habitat and serve communities, offering a variety of benefits such as keeping children safe and protecting water quality.
Artificial light at night, or ALAN for short, may be one of the main drivers of firefly declines. At least 80% of the firefly species found in the United States and Canada communicate with each other using bioluminescent light signals in the form of flashes, flickers, or glows. These species are active at dusk or after dark, and artificial lights that are on at this time can make it harder for them to see each other. It may also make fireflies more vulnerable to predators that would otherwise be repelled by their light.
Western monarchs need everyone’s help. Starting in 2018, monarch butterflies had tough seasons in their migratory and breeding grounds in the western states and, in the following two winters, the annual Xerces Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count showed that the population hit a new low: In both 2018 and 2019, volunteers counted under 30,000 monarchs—less than 1% of the population’s historic size.
This Western Monarch Call to Action, led by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, aims to provide a set of rapid-response conservation actions that, if applied immediately, can help the western monarch population bounce back from its critically low overwintering size.
In 2018 and 2019, the number of monarchs overwintering in California dropped to 1% of the historic population size. In 2020, that number dropped even further to less than 0.01% of the historic size, volunteers counted less than 2,000 monarchs during the annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count. For every 2,250 monarchs there were 30 years ago, there is only one left flying today.
Essays on Invertebrate Conservation
“Protecting the life that sustains us” is not just a tagline for the Xerces Society; it is the principle that guides us every day. We hope that the articles in this issue of Wings will help to explain why this is important and illustrate some of the diverse ways in which we work to embody this principle. Thank you for your support of our work.
While habitat degradation, pesticides, and disease all contribute to pollinator decline, climate change is an increasingly significant stressor that may interact with these to further drive the decline of pollinators. A loss of pollinators in the Central Valley will affect both agricultural and natural ecosystems. Farms, natural areas, rights-of-way, and urban spaces can all play a role in making the Central Valley a climate-resilient landscape for pollinators.
The goal of this tool is to evaluate pollinator habitat at a given urban, suburban, or rural site and identify areas for improvement. This process will also help users prioritize the most essential next steps to take for pollinators at the site.
Improving pollinator habitat along roadsides and rights-of-way has many benefits, even beyond providing habitat for these important insects—including carbon sequestration and soil stabilization. Although this fact sheet is centered on California, many lessons are more broadly applicable, and can provide a useful jumping-off point for climate-smart habitat planning for other regions.
Given the many ways that climate change is likely to impact pollinators and plant-pollinator interactions, we propose multiple strategies to increase climate resilience for pollinators in natural areas. Although this fact sheet is centered on California, many lessons are more broadly applicable, and can provide a useful jumping-off point for climate-smart habitat planning for other regions.
