Chapters in Wisconsin

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2026psc/event/psc2026/

Feb-April zoom classes to get certified as a POLLINATOR STEWARD:

Make a positive difference for pollinators, people, and the planet. 

 Topics include an introduction to the world of pollinators, how they live and thrive, threats to pollinators, and how we all can help. Details will be provided on habitat creation for pollinators in many landscapes including home gardens, parks, rights-of-way, and agricultural landscapes. Additional information on pollinator identification and how to share your knowledge through community outreach will be provided. 

 This course is ideal for home gardeners, land managers (large and small), farmers, organizations, government departments, and anyone who wants to do more to support pollinators. Join the growing community of Certified Pollinator Stewards!

Bill Volkert and Connie Ramthun have been working on their land since 1982 to restore a series of natural communities native to this part of Wisconsin.  You will enjoy their humor and insight about the native plant movement as they tell about turning the family farm into a richly biodiverse oasis.  While only five acres in size, their land is adjacent to the NorthernKettle Moraine StateForest and lies along the shore of Birchwood Lake.  They also manage a seven acre wetland which adjoins their land.

Dr Jeff Karron

Professor of Biology at UW Milwaukee

Bumble Bee Queens, Nests, and Spring Wildflowers

Dr. Jeff Karron’s talk features striking slow-motion videography to highlight the interdependence of bumble bee queens and spring-flowering perennial plants.  Early-blooming native perennials provide the essential food resources queens need to survive, establish nests, and successfully raise their first brood.  In turn, many spring flowering plants depend heavily on bumble bees for effective pollination and seed production.  All video and photography featured in this presentation were filmed in high quality prairie and woodland sites across southeastern Wisconsin.  The talk highlights the importance of conserving and restoring early-season floral resources to sustain bumble bee populations.

Learn how to use native landscaping to support birds. Recommendations will be given on how to attract and support birds year-round in Wisconsin. The importance of restoring native habitat in our rapidly changing world will also be discussed.

M. Susan DeVries, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Susan has performed research with Northern Cardinals for the last 17 years and is a co-author of the Birds of the World account for the species. She has multiple publications examining aspects of behavior, physiology, and morphology in cardinals (and other critters) and mentors undergraduate researchers interested in avian ecology. 

Dr. Jeff Karron’s upcoming talk features striking slow-motion videography to highlight the interdependence of bumble bee queens and spring-flowering perennial plants. Early-blooming native perennials provide the essential food resources queens need to survive, establish nests, and successfully raise their first brood. In turn, many spring flowering plants depend heavily on bumble bees for effective pollination and seed production.

 All video and photography featured in this presentation were filmed in high-quality woodland and prairie sites across southeastern Wisconsin. The talk highlights the importance of conserving and restoring early-season floral resources to sustain bumble bee populations.

Dr. Karron is Professor of Biology emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is internationally known for his research on the ecology of plant-pollinator interactions, bumble bee behavior, and the conservation of endangered plants.

 For more information about his research, please visit his website: www.karronlab.com. Jeff recently produced a highly regarded nature documentary highlighting the ecology of bumble bees and native plants in a tallgrass prairie https://youtu.be/fQsnPAWQqcI