The Treasure Valley Pollinator Summit is a two-day event bringing together farmers, gardeners, and land stewards to learn how to support pollinators and beneficial insects. Day One features presentations from local and regional experts on creating on-farm habitat, pollinator-friendly farming and gardening practices, and using Idaho native plants. Day Two is a hands-on field day and farm tour, limited to 40 participants, offering the chance to see pollinator habitat in action and learn directly from practitioners in the field.

Dates:
Day One- Pollinator Summit: Wednesday, June 17th, 8 AM - 4 PM
Day Two- Pollinator Farm Tour: Thursday June 18th, 7:30 AM - 4 PM
Day One lunch provided by City of Good
Day Two lunch provided by Peaceful Belly Farm

Cost: $25 per day, lunch included
Location: Boone Science Hall, College of Idaho

Day 1 Speakers:

Armando Falcon, UI-CALS, Pollinator Conservation 101: Current Threats in Agricultural Landscapes
Lindsie MacCabe, USDA-ARS: Pollination with Solitary Bees- Benefits and Management
Jeri Hoover, Koppert: Bumble bees and natural enemies
Jason Thomas, UI-Extension – Minidoka County: Wings, Fur, and Flowers: The Secret Life of Vertebrate Pollinators
Samuel DeGrey, UI Extension – Boundary County: Overlooked and underappreciated; Beetles and flies as pollinators
Sierra Laverty, UI-Extension – Ada County: Native Plants to the Rescue! How Treasure Valley Plants are Key to Pollinator Success
Brad Stokes, UI-Extension – Canyon County: Pollinator Challenges & Opportunities in the Southern Idaho Urban Environment
Anthony Vaudo, USDA-Forest Service: Applying bee nutrition to pollination services in agriculture
Karleen Davis, Stuart Murray & Luc Leblanc, College of Idaho & UI-CALS: Idaho Bee Checklist and Idaho Bee Atlas, Putting Idaho bees on the map
Kellin T. L. Hess, Chessa-Grace K. Foreman, Kaiya Pardue and Robert G. Laport, The College of Idaho: Bees or Bust, A Biodiversity Survey of the Bee Assemblage on The College of Idaho Campus
Annalise Mckinnon, USDA-ARS: Tracking Osmia dispersal in orchards and wildland settings using Novel DNA extraction techniques
Allyson Martin, WSU: Enhancing bee health and apple pollination outcomes with pollinator habitat, preliminary research results

Day 2 Farm Tour (tickets sold separately): Includes stops at Purple Sage Farm, Peaceful Belly Farm, Parma Research & Extension Center, Jackson Hops, and Bitner Vineyards (ending in a wine tasting!). Transportation from College of Idaho and lunch provided.

This event is supported by the United States Department of Agriculture Transition to Organic Partnership Program, Western SARE, Koppert, and the Orchard Bee Association.