| Summit Schedule
8:30am-9:00am Welcome and opening remarks:
Exploring Colorado’s Pollinators: Setting the Stage – Adrian Carper
9:15am-10:15am Keynote
The art and science of monitoring tiny bees on enormous landscapes – Olivia Carrill
Evidence suggests that native bee species may be experiencing population declines in ecosystems around North America. To better evaluate which species are most imperiled, and the extent of their decline, it is important to monitor bee populations over the long term in areas where change is most likely. Sampling them in a meaningful way requires taking into account the difficulties of collecting a representative sample and the cost of repeated sampling. Dr. Olivia Messinger-Carril will describe her own successes and failures in documenting bee populations over the last 25 years, present some of her findings and share her ideas and methods for successfully documenting bee populations moving forward.
10:30am-12:00pm Session 1 panel
Mapping our native pollinators: how, where, and why they occur – Oregon Bee Atlas, MN Bumblebee Atlas, Olivia Messinger-Carrill (Adrian Carper, moderator)
The term, ‘pollinator decline’ is ubiquitous but also controversial, given that one of the biggest impediments to pollinator conservation is a lack of repeated surveys in space and through time to detect changes in pollinator communities. However, there are examples where this data is available, and new collaborative efforts at very large spatial scales that address gaps in our understanding of pollinator distributions. This panel brings together examples of work being done on the ground to build new knowledge of pollinator distributions, while engaging with vested and concerned communities, and raising awareness about the need for research and engagement in pollinator conservation.
12:00-12:30 pm Lunch
12:30-1:30 pm Session 2 panel
Policies to Protect Pollinators: Successes & Priorities – Pollinator Champions from the Colorado Capitol (Becky Long, moderator)
The 2021 Summit theme is collaboration. Successful conservation relies on collaboration between multiple disciplines and stakeholders to sustain biodiversity and functioning ecosystems essential to our wellbeing. Pollinator conservation is an excellent example of how we all benefit from pollination services and how we, in turn, can take action to help conserve pollinators and overall biodiversity. An essential tool that supports pollinator conservation is policy making, and good policy is also fueled by collaboration. This panel will focus on the opportunities and challenges of policy making and explore how we can leverage collaboration at the local, state, and federal levels to drive changes to protect pollinators.
1:45pm-3:15pm Session 3 panel
Cultivating Community Collaborations – Community leaders from Boulder, Fort Collins, Lakewood and Manitou Springs (Amy Yarger, moderator)
Long term and lasting improvements in pollinator habitat require teamwork from diverse stakeholders. This panel will offer examples of private-public partnerships from four Colorado communities: Boulder, Fort Collins, Lakewood and Manitou Springs. Private-public partnerships capitalize on the strengths and resources of each sector, from finance, to credibility, to expertise. Panelists will discuss how city staff and community members can work together to build trusting relationships, create thriving programs and engage residents, visitors, students, gardeners and staff in pollinator conservation.
3:15pm-3:30pm Closing Remarks
3:30pm-4:30pm Virtual Happy Hour |
