EPA Offers Webinars on Pollinator Health and Habitat
Overview of Pollinator Webinars
Beginning in March 2020, EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs hosted a series of public webinars highlighting ongoing work to promote pollinator health and habitat.
These webinars increased awareness of the evolving science on pollinator health, promoted efforts to improve pollinator habitat, and engaged stakeholders in addressing factors associated with declines in pollinator health.
Each webinar targeted different stakeholders, including the general public; homeowners; school officials; scientists; conservation groups; beekeepers; growers; and state, local and tribal governments.
Webinars
- March 10, 2020: Creating Monarch Habitats in Schools and Communities
Presenters explained the monarch butterfly’s importance as an iconic species; why safeguarding monarch habitat is critical to overall ecosystem health; and how schools can create living educational environments that provide safe habitat. Participants learned about threats to the monarch butterfly, monarch migration patterns, and the role groups and individuals can play in conserving monarch habitat by adopting integrated pest management practices.
- July 21, 2020: Designing and Conducting Bee Studies
This webinar provided an understanding of basic elements of the studies used by EPA for assessing risk to bees to support the registration or re-evaluation of a pesticide. Featured speakers included representatives from U.S. EPA, Syngenta, Bayer CropScience, and Wageningen University and Research.
- July 28, 2020: Assessing Risks to Bees from Pesticides
This webinar provided a brief overview of EPA’s tiered process for assessing risks to bees, which included an overview of honey bee colony simulation models. Presenters discussed new approach methodologies for exposure and effect assessments that are under development to help reduce reliance on animal testing.
This webinar focused on efforts to mitigate risks of pesticides to bees. Furthermore, it provided an overview of industry, state government, and university extension initiatives to engage stakeholders on pollinator protection
- September 15, 2020: Engaging Stakeholders: Development and Implementation of Pollinator Protection Plans
This webinar discussed how managed pollinator protection plans (MP3s) reduce exposure of bees to pesticides through sustainable agriculture and increased stakeholders’ engagement. The webinar also addressed the Agency’s plan to assess the impact of MP3s while coordinating outreach with stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of MP3 implementation.