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The Managed Pollinator Protection Plans (MP3) Working Group is funded by the North Central IPM Center. The group includes about 40 extension educators and specialists, apiary inspectors, and professionals from state and national agencies who work together to share resources and develop educational materials to promote pollinator stewardship. The working group developed presentations and online courses to train pesticide applicators in pollinator protection. The training materials topics include pollinator appreciation, pesticide toxicity and risk to bees, pesticide labels, and planting for bees. The working group aims to provide practical, science-based recommendations to pesticide applicators that they can be part of the bee health solution.

ITP, in collaboration with Pollinator Partnership, is pleased to release The BeeMD at idtools.org. The BeeMD will help beekeepers and others concerned with bees quickly identify honey bee health issues (including colony collapse disorder), through an interactive, visually rich, informative, and easy to use website. This release includes much of the content from the original website first published in 2016. On this new platform, the “visual key” has been completely restructured and streamlined, and the entire website redesigned and expanded, offering additional informational, visual, and supportive content.

The Pollinator Partnership’s mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research. Signature initiatives include the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NPPC), National Pollinator Week, and the Ecoregional Planting Guides.
See also: North America Pollinator Protection Campaign: Wildlife Fact Sheet - Invasive Species [PDF, 156 KB] and North America Mite-A-Thon (national effort to collect infestation data and to visualize Varroa infestations in honey bee colonies across North America within a one week window.

National Pollinator Week (June 17-23, 2024) is a time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what you can do to protect them. In 2007, the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. 

Pollinator Week 2024 is a celebration of the vital role that pollinators play in our ecosystems, economies, and agriculture. Under the inspiring theme "Vision 2040: Thriving ecosystems, economies, and agriculture," this year's event urges us to envision a future where pollinators not only survive but thrive. These essential creatures, including bees, butterflies, moths, bats, beetles, and hummingbirds, are the unsung heroes behind the food we enjoy and the beauty that surrounds us.
See also: USDA Recognizes National Pollinator Week (Jun 17, 2024)

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found a dramatic decline of 14 wild bee species that are, among other things, important across the Northeast for the pollination of major local crops like apples, blueberries and cranberries.

“We know that wild bees are greatly at risk and not doing well worldwide,” said Sandra Rehan, assistant professor of biological sciences. “This status assessment of wild bees shines a light on the exact species in decline, beside the well-documented bumble bees. Because these species are major players in crop pollination, it raises concerns about compromising the production of key crops and the food supply in general.”

There are more than 4,000 native bee species in the United States, with many species yet to be described. These native bees pollinate our native plants and agricultural crops, add beauty to our world, and are deserving of protection. The US National Native Bee Monitoring Research Coordination Network (RCN) is a USDA-funded effort to coordinate and support efforts to monitor native bee populations in the US, with the broader goal of conserving our nation's native bee fauna.

From 2020-2023, native bee biologists from across the US will work together to develop a national plan for native bee monitoring. The plan will include components such as monitoring protocols and the designation of priority areas for monitoring. The RCN will also develop new educational and training opportunities in areas that are fundamental to native bee monitoring.
See also: How You Can Help Count and Conserve Native Bees (New York Times, Dec 9, 2020)