Advocating for Insect Conservation Within a Changing Political Landscape

Organizer(s)

• MC

  Morgan Christman (she/her/hers)

  Assistant Professor of Pollinator Ecology
  Louisiana State University
  Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• 

  Rachel Walsh, M.S. (she/her/hers)

  Ph.D. Candidate
  Florida Museum of Natural History
  Gainesville, Florida
• 

  Vaughn Shirey

  David H. Smith Postdoctoral Conservation Research Fellow
  Florida Museum of Natural History
  Gainesville, Florida
• DW

  David Wagner

  University of Connecticut
  Storrs, Connecticut
• DE

  Dominic Evangelista

  University of Illinois
  Urbana, Illinois

Insect biodiversity is declining amid political challenges to conservation and research. This symposium unites experts to evaluate the status of global insect biodiversity, explore innovative monitoring techniques, and strategize how entomologists can engage with policymakers to promote insect biodiversity conservation, uphold scientific integrity, and secure support for fundamental entomological research.

Presentations:

• 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM Pacific

  Introductory remarks
  

  Presenting Author: Morgan E. Christman (she/her/hers) – Louisiana State University
• 2:15 PM - 2:45 PM Pacific

  From droppings to data: eDNA metabarcoding for use in insect monitoring
  

  Presenting Author: Lillian Hendrick – University of Florida

  Co-Author: Ivone de Bem Oliveira (she/her/hers) – University of Florida

  Co-Author: Michael Belitz – Florida Museum of Natural History

  Co-Author: Jaret C. Daniels, Ph.D. – University of Florida

  Co-Author: Robert P. Guralnick, Ph.D. – Florida Museum of Natural History
• 2:45 PM - 3:15 PM Pacific

  Mothbox: Open source, low cost, insect monitoring at scale
  

  Presenting Author: Andy Quitmeyer – Digital Naturalism Labs
• 3:15 PM - 3:45 PM Pacific

  The importance of protecting scientific collections
  

  Presenting Author: Cole Donovan – Federation of American Scientists
• 3:45 PM - 4:15 PM Pacific

  The Xerces Society's evidence-based approach to advancing protection and conservation of endangered invertebrates
  

  Presenting Author: Rich Hatfield – Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

  Co-Author: Sarina Jepsen – Xerces Society
• 4:15 PM - 4:30 PM Pacific

  Break
• 4:30 PM - 4:40 PM Pacific

  Navigating the policy landscape to support research and higher education
  

  Presenting Author: Dominique Carter – Lewis-Burke Associates LLC
• 4:40 PM - 4:50 PM Pacific

  How entomologists can engage with science policy today
  

  Presenting Author: Kevin Burls (he/him/his) – Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
• 4:50 PM - 5:00 PM Pacific

  Long term advocacy is essential to insect conservation under the ESA
  

  Presenting Author: Jess Tyler – Center for Biological Diversity
• 5:00 PM - 5:55 PM Pacific

  Panel discussion
• 5:55 PM - 6:00 PM Pacific

  Closing remarks
  

  Presenting Author: Morgan E. Christman (she/her/hers) – Louisiana State University