Pollinator Celebration Day
The Vermont Pollinator Working Group presents a celebration of all-things pollinators for learners of all ages! From managed honey bees to the 350 species of native bees in Vermont, we will learn from experts about their extraordinary diversity and importance! Discover how you can support pollinators in your community and backyard. Hear from our keynote speakers and join us for afternoon workshops (pre registration required, intended for a young adult/adult audience). Meet the organizations who are working together to tackle urgent threats to bees and other pollinators in the Northeast, visit your local native plant suppliers and artists at the Pollinator Plaza and explore youth activities.
Thank you to our sponsors: Caledonia Spirits, Gund Institute, One Hive Foundation, Vermont Beekeepers Association
Please consider making a donation to the Vermont Pollinator Working Group.
Keynotes
10:30-11:30AM
How to be a Pollinator Advocate: Neonic Bill Updates
No bees, no food. Pollinators are essential to our food systems, yet they continue to face widespread decline, in part due to toxic pesticides. Last year, Vermont took bold action to protect these vital species by adopting legislation to phase out the use of harmful neonicotinoid pesticides—becoming only the second state in the nation to do so. How did this victory happen? What can we learn from Vermont’s success? Paul Burns, Executive Director of VPIRG, will share insights from the “Protect Our Pollinators” campaign, which included a wide variety of organizations and activists. Join us to learn how grassroots organizing, strategic advocacy, and collective action can drive real change.
Paul Burns, VPIRG - Paul Burns is executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, a position he’s held since 2001. VPIRG is Vermont’s largest nonprofit, consumer and environmental advocacy organization. Through VPIRG, Paul has played a major role in the passage of multiple landmark policies including the nation’s first ban on fracking, the world’s first climate superfund legislation, prohibitions on PFAS, lead, BPA, and other toxins in consumer products, and the phaseout of most neonic pesticides in Vermont. Prior to his work with VPIRG, Paul worked for 15 years as an attorney, advocate and organizer for PIRGs in New York and Massachusetts. He earned his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Oswego, and his law degree from the Syracuse University College of Law.
Vermont's Rich Beekeeping History
Vermont’s contributions to the success of beekeeping and across the country are largely unknown outside of the beekeeping world. This history has shaped modern beekeeping, with a deep bench of leadership and innovation of Vermont beekeepers, both commercial and hobbyists, in protecting our nation’s pollinators. Learn how Vermont beekeepers have made an incredible impact on apiculture and apitherapy in the US.
Ross Conrad, Dancing Bee Gardens Ross Conrad of Dancing Bee Gardens in Middlebury, is a former president of the Vermont Beekeeper’s Association, a regular contributor to Bee Culture magazine, author of Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches To Modern Apiculture Expanded and Revised 2nd Edition, and co-author of The Land of Milk and Honey: A History of Beekeeping in Vermont. Ross has given bee related presentations and led organic beekeeping workshops and classes throughout North America for three decades. His beekeeping business, Dancing Bee Gardens, supplies friends, neighbors with honey and candles among other bee related products, and has 5-frame nucleus bee colonies available for sale each June.
Wild Pollinator Conservation Research on Farms
Animal pollinators – largely bees, but also flies, wasps, butterflies, moths, beetles, birds and bats – play a vital role in the global food system, offering immense ecological and economic value. Leslie will discuss her PhD research, which explores pollinator conservation across national, regional, and local scales. Her work combines climate modeling at the national level, field research on Vermont blueberry farms, and community-based education at Shelburne Farms to explore how we can protect pollinators to support healthy food systems.
Leslie Spencer is a PhD candidate in the Food Systems graduate program at UVM, where her research focuses on wild pollinator conservation and education on farms. She recently completed the graduate certificate in Education for Sustainability, a program jointly offered by UVM and Shelburne Farms. Before coming to Vermont, she studied wild pollinators in Costa Rican forests and coffee farms, Minnesota prairies, and the urban wilds of Boston.
Workshops
Please register for only one workshop per time slot.
Pollinator Safari
1:00-2:30PM
CANCELLED due to the weather. Leslie will be offering Pollinator Safaris weekly this spring and summer at Shelburne Farms. There is still space available in the safari scheduled for June 4th and the forecast looks great for exploring pollinators, register here.
Join UVM PhD candidate Leslie Spencer on a pollinator safari! Inspired by her urban pollinator conservation work with the Tufts Pollinator Initiative, Leslie will guide participants on a walk to uncover the secret lives of pollinators living all around us. Get up close to these gentle insects, learn to identify them, and discover how to support them in your own backyard. This slow, meandering 90-minute walk will take place outdoors on unpaved but mostly even surfaces. Please wear comfortable clothing and footwear for walking.
What Is the Seed Saying?
1:00-2:30PM
Owner of NativearthSeed LLC, Denise Ciastko's seminar, "What Is The Seed Saying?" promises to be an enlightening visual exploration of the diverse structures of native pollinator seeds and the unique conditions they need to successfully propagate. With her extensive experience in growing native plants and conducting trials on seed starting, Denise will delve into the intricate details of seed that influence their germination and growth. For anyone passionate about native plants, pollinators, or sustainable gardening, this presentation is a must-attend. Denise's deep knowledge, combined with her hands-on experience, will provide valuable insights into how gardeners can better understand the needs of their seeds. Her ability to translate natural ecological concepts into practical, actionable advice makes this talk especially beneficial for anyone looking to cultivate a thriving native plant garden that supports local pollinators and promotes biodiversity.
Land Assessments
2:30-4:00PM
Join pollinator conservation specialists from the Xerces Society for this hands-on, outdoor workshop on assessing the presence and quality of pollinator habitat on your property. The group will walk and explore the many features across Shelburne Farms that support pollinators. Throughout the tour, participants will learn how to use the Xerces' habitat assessment tool to identify existing habitat features, habitat deficiencies and areas for improvement, as well as how to prioritize steps for conserving and protecting pollinators.
Wild Bee Identification
2:30-4:00PM
Come learn how to identify some of the 350 species of wild bees found in Vermont with Spencer Hardy from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies! This is an indoor workshop where we will cover the identification of common spring genera and some of the more distinctive species. We will use photographs and pinned specimens to examine important features for identification and hopefully participants will come away with the confidence to put names on some of the bees they encounter in the Vermont landscape. Some previous experience watching bees is helpful, but not required.
Pollinator Plaza
11:30-3:30PM
Native Plant Suppliers
Vermont plant suppliers will be selling native plants that provide habitat and resources for pollinators.
Amber Roots Farm
Bird and Bee Native Plants
Full Circle Gardens
Green Mountain Natives
NativearthSeed LLC
The Farm Upstream
Organizations
Meet the organizations working together to tackle urgent threats to bees and other pollinators in Vermont and the Northeast.
Grow Wild
MycoEvolve
NOFA VT
Northwoods Stewardship Center
One Hive Foundation
Outreach for Earth Stewardship
Pollinator Pathways of Lamoille County
Shelburne Farms
Spoonful Herbals
UVM Extension Master Gardeners
Vermont Beekeepers Association
Vermont Bee Lab
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
VPIRG
Xerces Society
Pollinator Art
Meet pollinator focused artists and browse their work.
Abbie Castriotta
Deana Allgaier Studio
Green Blossom Painting
Tender Warrior Co.
Trillium Handcrafts
Vermont Quilt Bee
Wild Perennial Botanical Jewelry
Farm Fresh Lunch Menu
Registration required - $23
- Grilled Chicken, Kale, Shelburne Farms Cheddar Crisps Wrap with Creamy Cheddar Dressing
- Hummus, Shelburne Farms Market Garden Spring Vegetables and Cheddar Cheese Wrap
- Market Garden Spring Greens Salad, Early Radish, Turnips, Vermont Honey Vinaigrette
- Grain Salad, Roasted Beets, Feta, Sherry Vinegar, Spring Herbs
- Vermont Honey Shortbread Cookies
- Iced Tea & Lemonade