Second Annual Quad Cities Pollinator Conference
We are excited to announce our Second Annual Quad Cities Pollinator Conference, to be held June 23 – 24, 2016. This conference is geared toward the agricultural community; municipal, state and federal government employees; landowners; homeowners and urban dwellers; beekeepers; students; and educators.
The first day will take place at the River Center located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, and will consist of nearly 20 experts speaking on current pollinator issues, challenges, and opportunities. Morning tours to pollinator habitat sites will be given on the morning of the second day.
EXPERT SPEAKERS
Over the two days, topics will cover native insects, honey bees and creating pollinator friendly habitat.
The event will feature and opening keynote by Dr. Karen Oberhauser, Monarch Joint Venture, and a luncheon keynote by Dr. Orley R. Chip Taylor, Founder and Director of Monarch Watch.
Additionally, conference attendees will hear from experts like Dr. Donald R. Lewis, Dept. of Entomology and Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, Iowa State University. Presentations will also feature speakers from Syngenta, Pheasants Forever, the City of Davenport, and much more!
The second day will consist of a morning of scheduled tours around the Quad City area, visiting successful pollinator habitat projects. We had an excellent turnout last year and welcome anyone interested to register and attend.
WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
Pollinators are a critical natural resource in agriculture and healthy ecosystems, but there has been significant pollinator decline over the past few decades. Because of this, many different groups, organizations, and individuals care about pollinator protection and sustainability. This year, we focus on action! We are inviting homeowners, landowners, beekeepers, educators, the general public, and local/state/federal government employees to take part in this event. The goal for the conference is to provide a platform for knowledge-sharing, open dialogue, networking opportunities, and related goods and services.
A CALL TO ACTION
Threats facing pollinators include habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation. As native vegetation is lost to roadways, manicured lawns, crops and non-native gardens, pollinators lose the food and nesting sites that are necessary for their survival. Migratory pollinators face special challenges. If the distance between suitable habitat patches along their migration route is too great, smaller, weaker individuals may die during their journey. Our conference hopes to offer landscape solutions for a variety of applications (urban, rural, backyard) in order to address habitat loss for pollinators and other native species.
Early registration: $60
Registration after May 18: $75
Student registration is half price: $37.50
