Section 1 of 2. This session will explore the powerful connections between people, native plants, and pollinators, with a focus on how community- driven efforts can support biodiversity in both urban and agricultural landscapes. Join us to learn how everyday actions and innovative data tools are shaping the future of pollinator conservation.
SESSION CHAIRs Jessa K. Cruz1, Patricia Bohls2
1The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Sacramento, CA, United States. 2California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, CA, United States
Jessa K. Cruz
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Jessa is the Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist for The Xerces Society serving California and the Intermountain West. Since joining Xerces in 2008, she has worked in agricultural and natural lands throughout the Western United States to create habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects, and to promote practices that support them. Jessa holds a Master’s of Science in Environmental Entomology and Integrated Pest Management from California State University, Chico, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable Farming from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Patricia Bohls
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Patricia Bohls is a Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) serving as the Biodiversity Coordinator for the Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability at the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) since 2022. Prior to this position she was the State Apiarist and helped to implement the Apiary Protection Program with CDFA since 2018. In addition, since 2017 she has been a Part-Time Biology Professor at Napa Valley College teaching ecology. In 2017, she earned her Master of Science in Entomology at the University of California, Davis, studying honey bees (Apis mellifera) and their ectoparasite, Varroa destructor.
16.1 Status of Pollinators in the United States and Canada
Dr. Tara Cornelisse
NatureServe, Santa Rosa, CA, United States
Description Numerous studies have reported declines in terrestrial insect abundances in recent decades and highlighted the consequential impacts to ecosystems. Of particular concern are declines in pollinators given their importance in plant reproduction. In a taxonomically diverse assessment of pollinators in mainland North America north of Mexico, we found that 22.6% (20.6 – 29.6%) of the 1579 species in the best-studied vertebrate and insect pollinator groups have elevated risk of extinction. All three pollinating bat species are at risk, and bees are the insect group most at risk. Substantial numbers of butterflies and moths are also at risk, with flower flies, beetles, and hummingbirds more secure. At-risk pollinators are concentrated in California and the southwestern U.S. where diversity is highest and where there are large numbers of host-plant specialists. Threats to pollinators vary geographically: climate change in the West and North, agriculture in the Great Plains, and pollution, agriculture, and urban development in the East. Woodland, shrubland/chaparral, and grassland habitats support the greatest numbers of at-risk pollinators. Strategies for improving pollinator habitat are increasingly available and center on provision of floral resources and nesting sites. This presentation identifies the species, as well as their associated habitats, that are most in need of conservation actions at state, provincial, territorial, national, and continental levels.
Presenter Bios
Dr. Tara Cornelisse
NatureServe
Tara Cornelisse is the Lead Zoologist at NatureServe where she primarily works on invertebrate conservation. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz where she worked in coastal grasslands. She has worked in land stewardship, advocacy, and academia, and currently serves as the Lead Editor for the Natural Areas Journal.
16.2 The ABCs of California’s Native Bees and The Plant Life They Sustain: Exploring the Powerful, Reciprocal Connections Between California’s Immensely Biodiverse Bee Populations and Native Plants
Krystle Hickman
National Geographic, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Description There are nearly 3,000 bee species native to western North America, and over 1,600 of them reside in California—one of the most biodiverse regions in the world for bees. Native bees—as distinct from nonnative honey bees (Apis mellifera)—are at risk of extinction due to climate change and habitat loss. They may be native to an area as small as a zip code or as large as an entire nation, though wherever they reside, they are integral to their surrounding ecosystems.
The number of species native to California dwarfs the variety to be found in whole countries, such as France or Argentina, and rivals the biodiversity of the entire continent of Australia. This natural abundance of bees makes the Golden State significant terrain for entomologists. And since bees are an indicator species—whose absence or decline in population are often a first signal of ecosystem collapse—the study of bees is significant terrain for environmentalists at large.
In this session, National Geographic Explorer and bee expert Krystle Hickman profiles a handful of the species that underpin the ecologies of the Golden State, exploring the reciprocal connections between distinct species and native plant life, and how community science can support their conservation.
Presenter Bios
Krystle Hickman
National Geographic
Krystle Hickman is a National Geographic Explorer and community scientist based in Los Angeles and the author of The ABCs of California's Native Bees. With a passion for nature and an eye for artful photography, Hickman strives to elevate awareness of the decline of native bee species and shed light on their intricate and biodiverse ecosystems. Hickman’s commitment to conservation takes her across the globe, documenting rare native bees without resorting to any form of lethal collecting. Hickman’s influence extends beyond the lens: She has graced multiple television and online broadcasts, been interviewed on podcasts such as Ologies, presented at the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Colombia, and lectured at colleges such as Harvard, UC Irvine, UCLA, and more. Learn more about her work at beesip.com.
16.3 Bumble Bees (Bombus) are Critical Pollinators of California Native Plants
Dr. Leif Richardson1, Rich Hatfield1, Dr. Hillary Sardiñas2, Dylan Winkler2
1The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Portland, OR, United States. 2California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sacramento, CA
Description California is home to more than 1,600 species of native bees; the conservation needs of many of them are unclear. Conservation efforts for at-risk species are limited by a lack of rigorously collected occurrence data, even for species in the best-known groups, such as bumble bees (Bombus). The Bumble Bee Atlas (BBA), a project of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and partners, is a community science project documenting these bees across 20 US states. This talk will explore results from the California Bumble Bee Atlas, with a focus on what we have learned about bumble bee interactions with California native plants. Active since 2022, the project has trained and permitted 1,671 community scientists, who together have recorded more than 24,000 individual bee observations during ~2,700 standardized field surveys across the state. We have documented 23 species of bumble bees foraging at nearly 500 genera of native and introduced plants, and many more plant species. Bumble bees are considered host plant generalists, yet plant use patterns varied greatly among bee species and castes, highlighting the need to plan restoration actions around focal species’ diets. Our study shows that California native plants are critical to the diet of these bees, and also that they are pollinators of some of the state’s rarest plants. Given imperilment of nearly ¼ of bumble bee species, driven by habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and climate change, we contend that effective conservation of the state’s native plants must consider the plight of these important plant mutualists.
Presenter Bios
Dr. Leif Richardson
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Leif is a conservation biologist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, where he leads the California Bumble Bee Atlas. His research has focused on the ecology and conservation of native bees, with a focus on bumble bee interactions with plants. Leif is co-author of a standard reference manual, Bumble Bees of North America: an Identification Guide.
16.4 The Calscape Pollinator Companion: A Native Plant Selection Tool for Supporting Local Pollinator Communities
Teagan Baiotto1, Jessica Woodard2, Dr. Christopher Cosma3, Dr. Laura Melissa Guzman1, Pollinator Companion Working Group4
1Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States. 2California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA, United States. 3Conservation Biology Institute, Corvallis, OR, United States. 4National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
Description Pollinators are fundamental for the health of ecosystems and food systems. However, habitat loss has contributed to pollinator declines by disrupting specialized interactions with native plants, jeopardizing both ecosystem and human health. Since pollinators rely on connected habitat across human-dominated landscapes, revegetation by private and public land stewards, through activities like ecological gardening and native plantings, is essential for conservation. Despite growing public interest in pollinator conservation, these efforts face two barriers: a science gap, where the historic lack of comprehensive biodiversity data has hindered large scale data-driven guidance; and an information access gap, where the design of existing tools (e.g., long static plant lists with little supporting information) limits their accessibility across diverse audiences. The rise of big biodiversity data (e.g., from community science platforms like iNaturalist) offers new potential, but requires analytical frameworks to translate data into actionable insights. We present a novel framework integrating plant-insect interaction networks, species distribution models, and predictive modeling to identify region-specific pollinator support plants using big biodiversity databases. The resulting tool, the Calscape Pollinator Companion, is an interactive native plant selection tool that balances multiple planting priorities and translates complex ecological data into accessible guidance to support pollinators. We expect that the Calscape Pollinator Companion will help transform the best available science into practical guidance, empowering gardeners, native plant enthusiasts, and restoration practitioners to support local pollinator communities.
Presenter Bios
Teagan Baiotto
Cornell University
Teagan is a PhD candidate in Entomology at Cornell University investigating the impacts of agricultural intensification on wild bee biodiversity. Using a combination of field studies and big data techniques, he examines how the intensification of food production through increased agrochemical use and expansion of intensely managed monocultures has contributed to biodiversity loss. Through this work, Teagan aims to develop science-based strategies that support biodiversity conservation on managed lands.
Jessica Woodard
California Native Plant Society
Jessica Woodard is responsible for Calscape, California Native Plant Society’s platform connecting new gardeners and experts with the coolest native plants for their garden. Prior to CNPS, she worked in water conservation, focusing on sustainable landscaping and using data-driven information and technology to better communicate messages across different audiences. She received her Master’s in Geography at San Francisco State University and a BA in International Development/World Religions from McGill University.
16.5 Calscape: Expanding Tools and Access for a Native Plant Future
Jessica Woodard, Maya Argaman
California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA, United States
Description Calscape, California Native Plant Society’s (CNPS) platform for discovering and learning how to grow California native plants, has undergone a major transformation to better serve the growing community of native plant advocates, professionals, and land stewards. This presentation will share key updates since the last CNPS conference, including a new Pollinator Tool that connects native plants to the butterflies and moths they support, and a redesigned interface that makes it easier to plan native gardens, focusing on ecoregions and garden goals.
Attendees will gain a behind-the-scenes look at how CNPS is advancing native plant adoption across sectors through digital tools, statewide partnerships, and targeted outreach—laying the groundwork for a more resilient and biodiversity-rich California.
Presenter Bios
Jessica Woodard
California Native Plant Society
Jessica Woodard is responsible for Calscape, California Native Plant Society’s platform connecting new gardeners and experts with the coolest native plants for their garden. Prior to CNPS, she worked in water conservation, focusing on sustainable landscaping and using data-driven information and technology to better communicate messages across different audiences. She received her Master’s in Geography at San Francisco State University and a BA in International Development/World Religions from McGill University.
Maya Argaman
California Native Plant Society
Maya graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Environmental Science and Management, where she fell in love with native plants in both the natural and built environment. Before California Native Plant Society, she was a field technician for both the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico and the Forest Service in the Sierras. She most recently worked as a landscape designer in the Bay Area, and has been at CNPS for five years in the Education and Horticulture team.
Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!
Giant Sequoia
Special thanks to Esri, our 3-time Giant Sequoia Sponsor, for making this movement stronger than ever!
The mission of the California Native Plant Society is to protect California’s native plants and their natural habitats, today and into the future, through science, education, stewardship, gardening, and advocacy.
DateFriday, February 6
