Pollination Science and Stewardship Symposium

Abstract

Pollination is a vital ecological process in terrestrial ecosystems. Pollinators are the organisms that provide this service, thus facilitating reproductive success in plant communities. Awareness of the importance of pollinators and pollination has increased in the last few decades, largely due to global declines in honey bee colonies and documented widespread declines of some bumble bee and other pollinator species. In Canada, the main pollinators are the insects, with 1000s of species from a wide range of taxa that regularly visit flowers. Among the most familiar and important insect pollinators are the butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), many groups of flies (Diptera) and beetles (Coleoptera), and the Hymenoptera, which includes the bees and many other types of wasps. On March 17, 2016 a symposium titled “Pollination Science and Stewardship” was held at Okanagan College Campus in Penticton, British Columbia. The symposium brought together twelve presenters to speak about current research and topics on the diversity, conservation, ecosystem services, pesticide management, agriculture, citizen science and stewardship for pollinators, with focus on Canada.  The workshop also aimed to facilitate connections between pollination specialists and lands managers, owners, stewards and biologists, thus enabling information and idea exchange such that these practitioners could then apply it to their own conservation work. The symposium attendance was in excess of 90 people.  A broad range of interested participants came to the event; members of academia and professionals from industry, agriculturalists, citizen scientists, artists, students, gardeners and landowners interested in enhancing their properties for pollinators. The symposium was supported by funding from Environment Canada Habitat Stewardship Program for Species At Risk, British Columbia Ministry of Environment, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and the Entomological Society of British Columbia.