Pollinator Conservation Short Course Taking Place in Florida, Feb. 2

GAINESVILLE, Florida -- The Xerces Society, through the support of a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) Professional Development (PDP) grant, will hold a Pollinator Conservation Short Course on Feb. 2 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, FL.

The purpose of the short course is to draw attention to declining populations of pollinators and promote conservation by helping to protect their natural habitats. The short course is the first of several programs that The Xerces Society is holding across the Southern region in 2012.

The short course will include both classroom and field training components and will cover such topics as principles of pollinator biology, the economics of insect pollination, basic bee field identification, land management practices, habitat restoration, and plant selection.

Thirty scholarships are being offered on a first-come, first-served basis to cover the cost of the short course. Registration is $45 per person thereafter and does not include lunch. Visit the Xerces Society website for more information and to register.

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Published by the Southern Region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Southern SARE operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture to offer competitive grants to advance sustainable agriculture in America's Southern region.