South Vermont News

Anew Vermont Pollinator Working Group will protect bees and other pollinators by targeting harmful pesticide use, while helping Vermont farmers to get to know the pollinators buzzing around their crops. 

The new group is launching with $20,000 from the Apis Fund, a UVM Gund Institute of Environment biannual competition supporting research and conservation of at-risk bees and other pollinators. The effort has also received $20,000 in matching funds from an anonymous donor.   

“These vital pollinators help our crops grow and provide billions of dollars in benefits to our food systems each year, but are threatened worldwide,” says Gund Institute acting director Meredith Niles. “This promising project is needed to help coordinate action on pollinator declines in Vermont and beyond, to find solutions that work for farmers and the environment.” 

The Vermont Pollinator Working Group, led by UVM bee experts Samantha Alger (CALS), Laura Johnson (Extension), and Spencer Hardy of Vermont Center for Ecostudies, will work with researchers, conservationists, farmers, and beekeepers to tackle urgent threats to bees and other pollinators in Vermont and the Northeast. 

“Great pollinator research and advocacy work is being done in Vermont,” said Samantha Alger, a Gund Affiliate from UVM’s Plant and Soil Science Dept., who studies bee diseases and leads Vermont’s National Honeybee Survey effort. “We seek to bring together these various stakeholders to tackle the most pressing threats.” 

"We tested pollen samples from Vermont bees and found 81 detections of 20 different pesticides—some toxic to pollinators," said UVM scientist Samantha Alger.

The Vermont Pollinator Working Group will launch with two projects. The first will advance research on neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides that research has shown are highly toxic to bees, but show relatively small benefits to farmers and crops. The team will study the chemicals, which are used as coatings on the majority of corn and soybean seed in Vermont, and test pollen samples from bee hives for pesticide residues that could negatively impact bee health.  

“In 2021, we tested 16 pollen samples from Vermont bees and found 81 detections of 20 different pesticides, some of which are considered toxic to pollinators in small concentrations,” said Alger. “With the Apis Fund’s support, we will build on this research and make sure the data are available to growers, advocates, and policy makers.”  

The working group will also launch a “Know Your 5” educational campaign targeting Vermont farmers, service providers, and consumer-oriented farm advocacy organizations. The group’s bee experts will help landowners identify five important pollinator species for their crops and the management tactics that best support those species. The group will also use workshops, webinars, newsletters, and meetings to advance awareness among farmers. 

Gund Institute research and testimony on endangered bees contributed to the creation of a recent Vermont law banning select neonicotinoid pesticides for homeowners, and impacted State programs, including new state-level positions focused on pollinator conservation. Gund researchers have developed the first U.S. map of wild bee declines and revealed bumblebees' shrinking range under climate change, a striking decline in Vermont bumblebees, and how bees improve crop yields. Learn more about UVM research on bees. 

About the Apis Fund for Pollinator Health 

Building on UVM’s leadership in pollination research, the Apis Fund was established with a $500,000 lead gift to create an endowment that supports the study and conservation of pollinators. The Apis Fund catalyzes projects that support wild and managed bees, which are essential to the world’s food supply but are experiencing steep declines from climate change, disease, and pesticides. The fund supports projects by Vermont-based organizations working in North and Central America.  

Eight teams have received Apis Fund support since launch, including UVM faculty, students, and non-profit organizations. The Apis Fund has supported research on how bees improve coffee quality, the first statewide online database of Vermont’s bees, enhanced honey prices and bee-friendly practices in Mexico, a new UVM pollinator garden guided by science-based best practices, and art installations highlighting the plight of threatened bee species. 

Since 2017, Gund research funding programs have provided nearly $1.4 million in startup funds, supporting over 40 innovative projects and nearly 140 UVM scholars with over 130 external partners. These programs have generated over $20M in external funds, a 29-to-1 return on investment, and inspired real world action.  

Named after the scientific name for honeybees, the Apis Fund projects are evaluated on a range of criteria, including potential benefits for pollinators, collaboration, strength and novelty of the overall project, impact on awareness and understanding of pollinators, and leverage with other resources. 

Original source can be found here.