The content of this course is tailored to the needs of farmers, NRCS, SWCD, Cooperative Extension, and state department of agriculture employees, as well as crop consultants, natural resource specialists, and non-governmental conservation organization staff.
Registration is $45 per person. Course registration includes the Xerces Society's Conservation Biological Control Toolkit and a copy of Farming with Native Beneficial Insects.
Canceled registrations can be refunded until August 14th, 2015.
Iowa State University
Field Extension Education Lab
1928 240th St.
Boone, IA 50036
Jillian Vento
The Xerces Society
503-232-6639
jillian.vento@xerces.org
The Xerces Society provides reasonable accommodations for special events with adequate notice. To request accommodation for events, please contact shortcourses@xerces.org by Tuesday, June 12th, 2015.
The USDA and the Xerces Society are equal-opportunity providers and employers.
This Short Course is made possible with the support of the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Additional support for this training is provided by the Audrey and J.J. Martindale Foundation, Cascadian Farm, Ceres Trust, CS Fund, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, General Mills, the Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation, Turner Foundation, Inc., Whole Foods Market and its vendors, Whole Systems Foundation, and Xerces Society members.
Special thanks to the Iowa State University Field Extension Education Laboratory (FEEL) staff for providing the venue for this event.
Header: Lady beetle eating aphids, photograph courtesy of Adam Varenhorst.
Sidebar: Syrphid fly, photograph courtesy of Adam Varenhorst.
Conservation Biological Control
Short Course
ISU – Field extension education lab
Boone, Iowa
Friday, August 21, 2015
9:00 am - 4:00 pm CST
Learn how to attract beneficial insects to farms and orchards
for natural pest control!
Beneficial insects contribute to natural pest suppression and potentially save $4.5 billion annually in pesticide costs. Yet the contribution of insects that prey upon or parasitize crop pests is largely overlooked. Conservation biological control is a science-based pest management strategy that seeks to integrate beneficial insects back into cropping systems for natural pest control, ultimately reducing and in some cases eliminating the need for insecticides. This strategy is based upon ongoing research that continues to demonstrate a link between the conservation of natural habitat and reduced pest problems on farms, orchards, and gardens.
In response to growing interest in promoting beneficial insects for their pest control services on farms, the Xerces Society has authored the book Farming With Native Beneficial Insects and developed the Conservation Biological Control Short Course to educate farmers, agriculture employees, natural resource specialists, land managers, and conservation organization staff.
Short Course Training Skills & Objectives
This workshop will cover:Participants will receive the Xerces Society's Conservation Biological Control Toolkit which includes Xerces' book, Farming with Native Beneficial Insects, as well as habitat installation guidelines and other relevant publications.
*Continuing Education Credits Available*
Course Agenda
Lunch - Bring a sack lunch
Module 4 – Assessing Baseline Farm Conditions for Beneficial Insects
INSTRUCTOR
Thelma Heidel-Baker – IPM Specialist, The Xerces Society
Thelma Heidel-Baker is the IPM Specialist for the Xerces Society. She has extensive experience working on biological control and IPM in agricultural cropping systems. Based out of eastern Wisconsin, Thelma provides support to farmers, agencies, and Xerces staff for developing pest management programs with reduced risks to beneficial insects. She also develops technical materials used by farmers, crop consultants, and university extension to recommend best management practices for conserving beneficial insects in pest management. Thelma received her Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Minnesota where she conducted research on improving IPM of the soybean aphid.
GUEST SPEAKER
About The Xerces Society
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. The Society's Pollinator Conservation Program was launched in 1996, and works with leading native pollinator ecologists to translate the latest research findings into on-the-ground conservation. More information about the Xerces Society is available at www.xerces.org.