USFWS Director Martha Williams said the “Center for Pollinator Conservation will advance our existing conservation efforts and welcome all those interested in enhancing pollinator populations. This center will improve how we work as an agency, dedicate shared resources and provide a space where we can engage and unite with others to conserve pollinators.”

The center will launch as a virtual collaborative space and will focus on three key themes 1) highlighting the importance of pollinators, 2) understanding and responding to threats to pollinators, and 3) coordinating action to reverse pollinator declines. The center will initially focus on conducting assessments on the current state of pollinator conservation and science across the USFWS; listening to agency programs and other partners across the country about how the center might function, and what it might provide; and developing mid- and longer-term strategies for the center and its work. The center will amplify the ongoing efforts to protect and promote pollinator health.

The USFWS encourages federal and state agencies, Tribes, academia, non-government organizations and other interested parties to strategically align pollinator work and connect with the center. Embracing a diversity of groups interested in conserving pollinators will help everyone achieve broader pollinator successes. Those interested in partnering with the Center for Pollinator Conservation can contact Interim Center Director Kelley Myers.