It is Entomology Advocacy Week! Unless you are an insect scientist, you may not have heard of this occasion.

Promoted by the Entomological Society of America, this event is a focused effort to advocate for science-based policy, especially regarding entomology.

Visit the Entomology Advocacy Week webpage to learn more.

For those of us in Pennsylvania, we have a very tangible way to contribute.

House Bill 2471 assigns responsibility of native terrestrial insects to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, in line with their mission-- “to conserve and sustain Pennsylvania’s natural resources for present and future generations’ use and enjoyment.”

This would provide opportunities for DCNR to access federal funding for insect conservation. The bill would also give a voice to invertebrate conservation and enhance interagency conservation efforts.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats, is strongly supportive of House Bill 2471.

Click Here for a fact sheet.

If you have an appreciation for our native pollinators, consider contacting your legislator to express your support for House Bill 2471.

You can find your legislator here.

(Written By Nate Reagle, an independent insect biodiversity and conservation advocate as well as a Certified Pollinator Steward issued by the Pollinator Partnership.)

Resource Links:

-- Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Native Plants And Insects Getting Legislative Attention - By Nate Reagle  [PaEN]

​​-- Pollinator Gardens: Help Encourage Ecological Diversity In Your Own Backyard  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Watershed Friendly Certification Program Expands To Large And Small Properties, Apartments  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Master Gardeners Certification As Pollinator Friendly Garden

-- Penn State Extension Is Celebrating Pollinator Week June 17-21!   [PaEN]

-- Pollinator Vehicle License Plate Now Available From PennDOT To Support Pollinator Habitat Fund  [PaEN]

Related Article This Week:

-- Celebrate The World Of Insects At Penn State's Annual Great Insect Fair Sept. 14 In State College  [PaEN]

[Posted: August 22, 2024]

8/26/2024