April 2025 | View as Webpage

Happy (Almost) Earth Week!

Virtual Regional Meetups Are Here!

Join us for our online regional meetings over the next two months! We are giving the floor to Bee Cities and Bee Campuses to share their pollinator conservation events with the group.

Did you host a Moth Night, bioblitz, or pollinator festival? We want to hear how it went! This is an opportunity to share your successes, ask for advice, and connect with your fellow affiliate cities and campuses.

If you would like your outreach work to be featured in your regional meeting email beecityusa@xerces.org the Monday prior to your meeting the following info:

1-2 high resolution photos (with photo credit), and
a short event/activity description

Selected presenters will have 5-10 minutes to speak, with extra time for questions and group discussion.

These free Bee City USA webinars will be recorded and available in the Bee City USA eNewsletter or upon request. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar. Register below!

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: South & Southeast

April 24 @ 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET

For Bee Cities and Campuses in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Virginia, and Texas.

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: West

May 1 @ 10 AM PT / 11 AM MT / 12 PM CT

For Bee Cities and Campuses in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: Northeast

May 8 @ 1 PM ET

For Bee Cities and Campuses in: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington DC, and West Virginia.

Bee City & Bee Campus USA Virtual Affiliate Meetup: North Central

May 29 @ 11 AM MT / 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET

For Bee Cities and Campuses in: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

New Mexico Passes Law Allowing the State to Conserve Invertebrates

Governor Lujan Grisham has signed into law SB5, a bill that gives the newly named New Mexico Department of Wildlife (formerly the Department of Game and Fish) the authority to manage ALL wildlife, including insects and other invertebrates! The Xerces Society was part of a broad coalition of organizations that supported this bill.

You can learn why insect protection through state authority matters, and what it takes to make it happen, in the January 2025 episode of the Xerces Society's Bug Banter podcast episode, T he Power of Policy: Insect Protection Through State Authority.

No Mow May / Low Mow Spring Promo Kit

Is your community mowing less this spring to feed the bees? No Mow May and all of it's iterations may seem a bit confusing but ultimately, it can be a fun, easy introductory activity to get people thinking about pollinator conservation in new ways. Reducing mowing to every two to three weeks can help pollinators, too! No need to go a full month without mowing.

We've got free printable yard signs, updated No Mow / Low Mow social media content, FAQs, videos, and much more available here: No Mow May / Low Mow Spring Promo Kit.

Note: Earth Week is next week! Check out our Earth Week Promo Kit for more content.

For Pollinators' Sakes, Don’t Spring into Garden Cleanup Too Soon!

Waiting to clean up the garden until after pears and apple blossoms have faded will protect a strong majority of native bees from losing overwintering resources. The timing in this chart is generalized for the eastern U.S., and will vary depending on your latitude and regional climate. (Chart: Xerces Society, Wild Pollinators of Eastern Apple Orchards and How to Conserve Them)

The first warm weather of the season may coax us out into the yard, but pollinators in your garden aren’t ready to take a chance on the first warm day.

While you may begin to see bumble bees and ground-nesting bees emerge as flowering trees and shrubs burst into bloom, they still need cover during chilly nights and heavy spring showers. While mining bees, mason bees, carpenter bees, and bumble bees may be out and about by early April, other species such as sweat bees are still hiding out, waiting for the warmer days that arrive in May.

Our guidelines will help you determine when cleaning up won't bug the pollinators in your space. Read more

Welcome, New Bee City and Bee Campus Affiliates

Thank you for joining us!

Berkeley Heights, NJ
Brookings, SD
Indiana University Bloomington, IN
San Marcos, TX

[Xerces Webinar] Bumble Bee Atlas Ecology And Conservation

In this webinar we will discuss bumble bee ecology, how that interacts with ongoing conservation issues, and what we can all do to help. We’ll discuss how to provide critical aspects of habitat to benefit each stage of the life cycle, whether you have a small porch, or manage several acres.

While this webinar is directed toward Xerces Society Bumble Bee Atlas volunteers, anyone is welcome to join.

The webinar will be led by the bumble bee conservation crew at the Xerces Society: Katie Lamke, Leif Richardson, Genevieve Pugesek, Molly Martin (former Bee City USA coordinator!), Michelle Toshack, Amy Dolan and Rich Hatfield, who will be joined by Dr. Elaine Evans and Elise Bernstein of the University of Minnesota.

Free Webinar

Bumble Bee Atlas Ecology And Conservation

April 19 @ 12 PM PT / 1 PM MT / 2 PM CT / 3 PM ET

This webinar will be recorded and available on the Xerces YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Upcoming Events

April 19 @ 12 PM PT / 1 PM MT / 2 PM CT / 3 PM ET

Bumble Bee Atlas Ecology And Conservation

April 20 - 26

Earth Week

April 22

Earth Day

April 24 @ 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET

Regional Meeting: South & Southeast

May 1 - 31

No Mow May

May 1 @ 10 AM PT / 11 AM MT / 12 PM CT

Regional Meeting: West

May 8 @ 1 PM ET

Regional Meeting: Northeast

May 8 @ 3 PM PT / 4 PM MT / 5 PM CT / 6 PM ET

[External Event] Collecting Urban Bee Data: Community Science Training

May 10

World Migratory Bird Day

May 15 @ 10 AM PT / 11 AM MT / 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET

Plants You can Brag About: Part II

(Stay turned for registration info & details in May!)

May 20

World Bee Day

May 22 @ 10 AM PT / 11 AM MT / 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET

Insect Restoration and Conservation: Creating Usable Habitats in Human-Dominated Landscapes

May 29 @ 11 AM MT / 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET

Regional Meeting: North Central

Have a event, funding opportunity, or volunteer opportunity you would like us to promote? Email beecityusa@xerces.org. If you have a Bee City/Campus login: you can add events here.