Creating Healthy Spaces for Pollinators to Thrive: Protecting Pollinator Habitat From Pesticides

With growing interest in planting pollinator habitat, how can farmers and other land managers make sure the habitat is protected from pesticides used in nearby crops?

Emily and Karin both work with Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and share some of the key pesticide risks to pollinators. They also discuss practical solutions for creating healthy pollinator habitat that is protected from pesticide drift and contamination.

This farminar highlights case studies and lessons learned from different types of habitat plantings, including prairie strips, on Midwestern farms.

• Emily May is a pollinator conservation specialist with Xerces Society. She received a master’s degree in entomology from Michigan State University and has studied pollinator habitat restoration, bee nesting habits and the effects of pest management practices on wild bee communities. Since 2015, her work with Xerces has focused on supporting crop pollinators by creating habitat and protecting bees and other beneficial insects from pesticides.
• Karin Jokela is a farm bill pollinator conservation planner for Xerces Society. She provides pollinator-related technical support and training to NRCS field office conservation planners and farmers, primarily in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.