Project Wingspan Across Agricultural Lands (PWAL)

Free in-person training opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and other producers as well as crop and pesticide advisors in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio!

Establishing and maintaining pollinator habitat within the agricultural landscape can result in win-win outcomes for both agricultural producers and the pollinators that are vital to sustaining our food supply and natural ecosystems. Pollinator Partnership and PWAL program partners invite members of the agricultural community to participate in the upcoming in-person workshops to increase knowledge of practices that both support pollinator conservation and benefit the health of agricultural lands!

Through these full-day courses, attendees will increase their awareness of Midwestern pollinator species, their habitat requirements, and their economic importance. Attendees will build knowledge of the multiple benefits gained from co-locating pollinator and beneficial insect habitat within the agricultural landscape, including in non-pollinator dependent croplands. Participants will learn about real-world management practices and the technical aspects for successfully creating and managing different installation types. Registrants will also participate in a guided field tour and have the opportunity to talk with farm and land managers who have integrated habitat into their management schemes, as well as to see habitat installations in action.

The workshops will cover:

• Pollinator biology and ecology, habitat requirements, and the economic importance of pollinators in agriculture.
• The benefits realized through co-locating pollinator habitat installations, including reduced pests and pest pressure, increased productivity, and increased soil and water conservation, among others.
• Identify ways of increasing and enhancing pollinator diversity on agricultural lands.
• Technical guidance for selecting and preparing sites to create various installation types, including hedgerows, set-asides, cover crops, and habitat patches.
• Best management practices and technical guidelines for short and long-term habitat management.
• An overview of the Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP) and specific monitoring activities that can be easily adopted.
• Additional information on local, state, and federal agencies/organizations that offer opportunities for technical assistance and financial programs will also be provided.
• A guided field tour of farm sites will round out the day to allow participants the opportunity to talk directly with farm managers who have integrated habitat into their management schemes, discuss successes and challenges, and see differences in installation types and establishment age first-hand.

Come prepared for the full-day workshop:

1) Bring a 'brown bag lunch' (except in Illinois).

2) Bring personal water bottles, hats, sunscreen, comfortable shoes, and be dressed for local weather conditions for the afternoon walking field tour.

3) We recommend bringing notebooks and pens/pencils for the classroom sessions.

PLEASE help ensure everyone's health and safety in regard to COVID-19. Conduct a self-assessment the day of the workshop to confirm you are symptom-free, and that you have not been in close contact with anyone that has an active infection within the previous 5-days before the event.
Masks and hand sanitizer will be available.

Illinois Training Workshop

When: Thursday, September 1st 2022

Where: Moyer District Library, 618 S. Sangamon, Gibson City, IL 60936

Register

Michigan Training Workshop

When: Thursday, September 8 2022

Where: Michigan State University Kellogg Biological Station, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060

Register

Indiana Training Workshop

When: Thursday, October 13 2022

Where: Rolling Prairie Public Library, 1 E Michigan St, Rolling Prairie, IN 46371

Register

Ohio Training Workshop

When: Thursday, September 22 2022

Where: Granville Land Lab, Granville High School Library, 248 New Burg St, Granville, OH 43023

Register