Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group

MJV: Reinstalling native habitat on private property in the west
2021-06-22 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
Click here to view more information!

43rd Western Apicultural Society Conference+Honey Bee Summit- Missoula, Montana
2021-07-08 - 2021-07-13
The 2021 Montana Honey Bee Summit comprises three events that take place in Missoula, Montana, July 8–13, 2021. We begin with the 43rd Annual Western Apicultural Society Conference and end with the 4th International Conference on Bee and Hive Monitoring; the Technology Demonstration Field Camp at the Fort Missoula Registered Apiary serves to bridge the two conferences. With options to attend one or various combinations of all three events, we’ll have no shortage of opportunities for learning this summer. Our location provides ample potential for experiencing the beauty of western Montana as well. See you there!
More info here.

North American Prairie Conference 2021
2021-07-20 08:00 - 2021-07-22 18:00
Plan to join us for three inspiring, informative days. The 2021 North American Prairie Conference will draw some of the brightest minds in prairie protection, restoration, stewardship, education and communications.

Registration will open in 2021, with one-day options as well as full three-day registrations.

Would you like to prepare a 20-minute presentation or a poster? The selection committee is currently accepting abstracts.

Stay tuned for more information!

Blazing Stars and Soaring Monarchs
2021-07-21
The MJV will again be hosting Blazing Stars and Soaring Monarchs at Minnesota Native Landscapes on August 21, 2021! We hope you will join us again for an amazing experience among the monarchs. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://donate.monarchjointventure.org/BlazingStars2021.
Sponsorship opportunities are available! For more information, please click here or reach out to Ella Phillips at ephillips@monarchjointventure.org.

MJV: Migratory Dragonfly Workshop (Spanish/English)
2021-07-22 11:00 - 14:00
12:00pm – 3:00 pm EST
Welcome to the exciting world of dragonflies! This workshop will provide lessons on the natural history of dragonflies and damselflies, hands-on outdoor experiences, and classroom activities. In this workshop we will take you on a journey through the natural history of migratory dragonflies. You will learn how scientists have discovered that some species migrate, how to identify them, and how to recognize their behaviors. Finally, we will show you how you set up your own citizen science project to answer interesting questions about migratory dragonflies near you.
Dr. Ami Thompson – North Carolina Wesleyan College
Dr. Melissa Sanchez Herrera – Universidad del Rosario – Colombia
Register here.

International Monitoring Blitz
2021-07-23 08:00 - 17:00
From July 23 to August 1, 2021, thousands of volunteers in Canada, Mexico and the United States, will take part in 5th annual International Monarch Monitoring Blitz (the Blitz). In the context of COVID-19, with limited ability to do field work, researchers now need your observations more than ever.
You can learn more and take part in the Blitz, with the following citizen science programs:

Canada: MISSION MONARCH
US East of the Rocky Mountains: MONARCH LARVA MONITORING PROJECT
US West of the Rocky Mountains: WESTERN MONARCH AND MILKWEED MAPPER
North America: JOURNEY NORTH
Mexico: NATURALISTA

More info here

MJV: Aligning Mosquito Control with Pollinator Protection
2021-07-27 13:00 - 14:00
Mosquitoes are a public health nuisance – not only can their obnoxious bites ruin your picnic, but the diseases they carry sicken millions of people across the globe every year. The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District is the agency tasked with monitoring and controlling mosquitoes, ticks, and black flies in the Twin Cities. In this presentation learn how MMCD makes control decisions for pollinator protection using Integrated Pest Management. This will cover the control materials we use, the training staff undertakes, and the various studies about non-target species that have been done in conjunction with the University of Minnesota and other state agencies.
More info/Register here.

WHC: Best Practices for Education Programming at Corporate Sites
2021-07-28 12:00 - 13:00
1:00pm-2:00pm EDT
Conservation and biodiversity education programs offer meaningful, equitable and accessible opportunities for learners of all ages to discover something new and make a positive contribution to the environment. Educational programming is an important aspect of a company’s social license to operate and can produce long-term partnerships while providing benefit to the community.
Join panelists from CEMEX, Eastman and Bayer for a discussion on how to create meaningful education projects, from design and outreach to partnerships and evaluation. Additionally, learn about the benefits of incorporating education initiatives at your site and the various forms education can take.
More info/Register here.

Eight Action Items to Protect Insects from Global Declines
2021-08-12 12:00 - 13:00
Join Akito Y. Kawahara, the lead researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, to learn about how to help save our important insects.
Register here.

WHC: Moths as a Performance Indicator: An Intro to Terrestrial Rapid BioAssessment
2021-08-18 12:00 - 13:00
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT
Moths are largely nocturnal creatures, but they can shed light on local biodiversity in a unique way. Many of the world’s 160,000+ moth species have niche habitat needs. Knowing what species are present in an area (and which ones are conspicuously absent) can therefore tell us a lot about that habitat’s health.
In this webinar, Blaine Rothauser, a senior ecologist from GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. will share first-hand insights on how teams can translate moth inventories into meaningful baseline data about habitat value, while also helping us gain a new appreciation for moths’ beauty and diversity.
More info/Register here.

Xerces 2021 Natural Areas Conference
2021-08-19 10:00 - 16:00
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM (EDT)
The Xerces Society is cohosting the 2021 Natural Area Conference held by the Natural Areas Association. This year’s one-day virtual event, Life from the Ashes: Exploring the Impact of Prescribed & Natural Fire on Insects and Other Invertebrates, will explore the positive and negative impacts of prescribed and natural fire related to insects and other invertebrates in landscapes across North America. The symposium will provide research and practical insights to inform natural areas professionals as they manage landscapes with fire.
More info/Register here.

National Honey Bee Day
2021-08-21

Climate Change and Land Use Change Impacts on Pollinators
2021-08-21 12:00 - 13:00
Biodiversity across the globe and throughout the tree of life is in major flux, and understanding the nature and causes of these changes is critical for developing effective conservation and management strategies. Pollinators are an especially important group to understand biodiversity change in, given the ecosystem and agricultural services that they provide, and bumblebees are a particularly important group of wild native pollinators found across North America and Europe. Over the last few decades, many species across this group have been declining, with links being made to climate change and habitat loss as the culprits. Join Peter Soroye, Conservation Biologist, to learn about his PhD research, looking at many species across multiple continents to explore how climate change has affected North America and European bumblebees over the last 120 years, and how human land use and habitat loss change that relationship.
More info/Register here.

MJV: Conserving Grasslands for Birds and Monarchs
2021-08-24 13:00 - 14:00
Monarchs share habitat with countless other organisms. In this webinar, Drew Larsen and bird biologist Kelly VanBeek share how conservation of grasslands intersects with the conservation of native pollinators, grassland birds and gamebirds, using case studies from Southeastern Wisconsin.
More info/Register here.

MJV: Conserving Grasslands for Birds and Monarchs
2021-08-24 13:00 - 14:00
2 PM Eastern Time
Monarchs share habitat with countless other organisms. In this webinar, Drew Larsen and bird biologist Kelly VanBeek share how conservation of grasslands intersects with the conservation of native pollinators, grassland birds and gamebirds, using case studies from Southwestern Wisconsin.
More info/Register here.

National Roadside Vegetation Management Association Conference 2021
2021-08-31 - 2021-09-02
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Asheville NC
Due to the uncertainty and restrictions related to the COVID-19 Pandemic that are still ongoing in our Country, the NRVMA 2020 Annual Conference scheduled for September 29- October 1,2020, in Asheville, North Carolina HAS BEEN CANCELED.
We will meet again at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Asheville, NC, August 31- September 2, 2021.
More info here.

WHC- Nature-Based Pollution Prevention – Tactics for Implementation, Reporting and Partnerships
2021-09-15 12:00 - 13:00
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT
In this webinar, experts and advocates from a federal agency, the private sector and a nonprofit will explore how NbS can advance pollution prevention goals on corporate lands while enhancing ecosystem services and contributing to local, regional and large-scale restoration efforts. The panelists will explain how their respective organizations approach pollution prevention, provide insights on implementation and share success stories from their work.
More info/Register here.

Sustainability in Space: The Next Frontier
2021-09-16 17:00 - 18:00 | Online
On Sept. 16, join Rubicon for a webcast with industry and thought leaders to learn more about space sustainability and the critical threat of space debris. They will share:

What is space sustainability
Why do we have the critical problem of space debris
How big is the problem and how can industry help mitigate

Rubicon is the leading software platform for waste, recycling, and sustainability solutions. Rubicon’s mission is to end waste, and they have recently turned their efforts to the growing challenge of tackling space debris with a mind for space sustainability.
More info/register here

Natural Areas Association Conference 2021
2021-09-20 - 2021-09-23
Duluth, Minnesota
Conference Topics:

Ecological monitoring: effective/sustainable long-term status and trends

Ecological monitoring: data management, storage, accessibility and use

Outreach: cutting edge education, volunteer stewardship, citizen science and social media

Outreach: involving arts, literature and photography

Developing technologies and apps: what to consider in creating or using

Protecting and managing natural areas for climate resilience

And more!

More info here.

International Conference on Ecology and Transportation 2021
2021-09-22 09:00 - 17:30, 2021-09-27 09:00 - 15:00, 2021-09-29 09:00 - 14:00 | Online
ICOET is the foremost interdisciplinary, interagency supported conference addressing the broad range of ecological issues related to transportation systems in all modes. Experts in transportation development, related scientific study, policy issues, and administrative processes gather at ICOET to share current research, quality applications, and best practices that can enhance both the project development process and the ecological sustainability of all transportation modes.
The ICOET program includes podium presentations, posters, field trips, and exhibits on topics of interest to researchers, biologists, engineers, planners, project managers, administrators, and policymakers. Hundreds of professionals—representing government, Tribal, academic, non-governmental, and private industry organizations—from the United States and more than 20 countries regularly attend ICOET.
More info/ register here

International Conference on Ecology and Transportation 2021
2021-09-28 09:00 - 15:30

MJV: Protecting and restoring California’s Overwintering Groves
2021-09-28 13:00 - 14:00
Learn about the western monarchs’ overwintering habitat in coastal California and the unique challenges and opportunities to protect and restore the groves. Topics will include examples of how land managers, policy makers and community members can help make a difference.
More info/Register here.

MJV: Protecting and restoring California’s Overwintering Groves
2021-09-28 13:00 - 14:00
2 PM Eastern Time
Learn about the western monarchs’ overwintering habitat in coastal California and the unique challenges and opportunities to protect and restore the groves. Topics will include examples of how land managers, policy makers and community members can help make a difference.
More info/Register here.

Monarch Conservation Webinar Series: Protecting and Restoring California’s Overwintering Groves
2021-09-28 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
Learn about the western monarchs’ overwintering habitat in coastal California and the unique challenges and opportunities to protect and restore the groves. Topics will include examples of how land managers, policymakers and community members can help make a difference.
More details/ register here

Native Pollinator Biodiversity: The Contributions of Native Pollinator Meadows
2021-09-28 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
Native pollinators play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem and food system. Attendees will gain an understanding of the intricate biodiversity of native pollinators, which have co-evolved with native plants. This webinar will discuss the steps of installing pollinator meadows, composed of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and native grasses.
More details/register here

Reducing Reliance On Pesticides Through Integrated Pest Management
2021-09-29 12:00 - 14:00 | Online
To protect pollinators, Bee Cities and Campuses are re-examining chemical-centric pest management practices and reducing pesticide use on city and campus lands. Join us for a presentation by Sharon Selvaggio, Pesticide Program Specialist at the Xerces Society, to learn about proven best practices for cities and campuses striving to reduce their reliance on pesticides. Sharon will also touch on examples of community-based efforts that are inspiring more people to reduce their reliance on these risky tools at home. This session is appropriate for all Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA affiliates, including grounds staff; city or campus managers; and community members.
More details/ register here

Virtual Mind Walk: Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation in a Changing World
2021-10-01 15:00 - 16:30 | Online
Every fall, monarch butterflies return to the California coast to spend the winter, undertaking one of nature’s most spectacular migrations. But the migration phenomenon is now threatened by a host of factors, including climate change and habitat loss. In the face of these challenges, monarchs may be adapting in surprising ways. Learn how monarchs navigate their incredible journey, what obstacles they face, and what you can do to help!
More details/ register here

Minimising Collision Impacts for Bats at Operational Wind Facilities, Part 1: Curtailment
2021-10-04 11:00 - 12:30 | Online
This is the first in a series hosted by AWWI on strategies to minimize collision impacts for bats at operating wind energy facilities. This webinar will feature presentations by experts on what we’re learning about different curtailment approaches, current smart curtailment research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, and novel approaches to developing ways to make curtailment “smarter.”
More details/ info here
