NAPPC

12th Annual International Conference Recap

The 12th Annual NAPPC International Conference held at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) in Washington, DC was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this year's conference. Leading scientists, researchers, conservationists, agricultural experts, religious leaders and government officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico were gathered on October 17-19th for an intensive conference aimed at nurturing declining pollinator species vital to plant and food production. Check out a recap of the conference with pictures, media releases and our honorary hosts and sponsors.

Pictures

Pollinator Advocate Award Winners

2012 NAPPC Pollinator Advocate Canada
Carol Dunk
Master Gardener

Carol Dunk began putting wildflowers in unusual places to make trips along the highway a little more appealing, and from that Roadsides was born. The first Pollinator Patch was planted by Carol and others in her hometown of Barrie, Ontario, in May of 2010, and serves as an example of what can be done by a small group of volunteers. This small step pollinated a network of roadside plantings that are transforming the transportation corridors of Southern Ontario.

Click here to read more about her and the press release.

2012 NAPPC Pollinator Advocate Mexico
Rodrigo Medellin, Ph.D.
Heads the Program for the Conservation of Migratory Bats, a partnership between the Institute of Ecology, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, BIOCONCIENCIA, and EcoHealth Alliance.

Like the inaudible chirps and clicks of the bat, the desperate need to protect these animals often goes unnoticed. For more then 25 years Dr. Rodrigo Medellin has been working to change that. As we mark the International Year of the Bat we celebrate Dr. Medellin’s career and commitment to the flying mammal that helps cactus fruit, controls insect populations, and fills cultural mythology.During his career Dr. Medellin founded and today heads the Program for the Conservation of Migratory Bats, a partnership between the Institute of Ecology, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, BIOCONCIENCIA, and EcoHealth Alliance.

Click here to read more about him and the press release.

2012 NAPPC Pollinator Advocate
Isabella Rossellini
Actress

Isabella Rossellini is receiving the honor for her short-film series advocacy campaign enlightened the life of bees and their struggles to survive. In 2012 Ms Rossellini released a series of short films in partnership with Burt’s Bees using social media as a vector for pollinator education. The voluptuous sovereign life of the Queen bee; the energetic and feisty lives of the work-bee sisters; the gluttonous and indulgent short life of the drone all captivated viewers.

Click here to read more about her and the press release.

2012 NAPPC Canadian Federation of Agriculture Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Advocate
Don Ruzicka
Farmer

The Ruzicka’s have been practicing sustainable farming since the mid 90’s, long before organic agriculture and ecologically functional farmscapes were popularized. Pollinators became a solid part of their conservation focus when cases of CCD started appearing south of the boarder in the United Sates and they became aware of the critical roles that pollinators play in agricultural systems. This plugged Don and Marie into the connection that all members of the agricultural community have with pollinators.

Click here to read more about him and the press release.

2012 NAPPC Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Advocate
Mark Wagonor
Farmer

Mark Wagoner is a fourth generation farmer whose crops include alfalfa and the native solitary alkali bee, Nomia melanderi. Mark practices a unique style of holistic farming where care for the land brings in native pollinators to native crops. Sticking to his roots and making innovation out of tradition has made Wagoner Touchet Farms a place where native bees and production agriculture coexist.

Click here to read more about him and the press release.