These insects, so essential to our agriculture and indeed to our landscape as we know it, deserve something better from us than the senseless destruction of their habitat. - Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
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Dear Friends,
Publication of Rachel Carson's, Silent Spring, half a century ago awakened the nation to the impacts on our environment from overuse of chemicals. Insecticides, in particular, affect us all. Gardeners and farmers witness fewer bees visiting their vegetables, prairies have fewer butterflies fluttering overhead, birds have less food to eat, and invertebrates are dying in our streams. We know that these losses are important to you and we want to prevent them.
Our goal is to use science, policy, and education to change how people use insecticides, and we need your CONTRIBUTION today to support these efforts.
Science: The Xerces Society translates complex science so that policy makers, government agency staff, and everyday citizens like you can make informed decisions about pesticides. This year we released Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees? and in 2013 we will publish a review of the impacts and the alternatives to pesticide use for mosquito control.
Policy: We believe that all consumers should know if the chemicals they use are harmful to bees and butterflies, and we are working with policy makers in Washington, DC to advocate for mandatory labeling of products for ornamental plants. Also, we are pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to develop better risk assessment measures that includes a full understanding of their impact on pollinators.
Education: We are training farmers, land managers, and citizens on how they can use less pesticides and minimize exposure to pollinators, streams, and wetlands. Over the last several years we have reached over 10,000 people through our educational programs.
We are fighting to maintain Rachel Carson's legacy and your participation in this work is integral to its success. Please join us in keeping Rachel Carson's message alive, DONATE today!
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Scott Hoffman Black
Executive Director
P.S. I have one further request: Please share this email with your social networks and friends. It is a simple thing you can do to show your support for Xerces!
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| ABOUT THE XERCES SOCIETY |
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The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. The Society has been at the forefront of invertebrate protection for forty years, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs worldwide.
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| PHOTO CREDIT |
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Wing pattern of anise swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) by Bryan E. Reynolds.
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