Beneficial insects contribute to natural pest suppression and could potentially save $4.5 billion annually in pesticide costs. Yet the contribution of insects that prey upon crop pests is largely overlooked. Pollinator and conservation biological control specialist, Jarrod Fowler of the Xerces Society will explain how to farm with beneficial insects at Sterling College.

Fowler will be leading “Native Pollinators and Beneficial Insects,” a twilight walk on the Sterling College campus that will encompass a discussion on insect conservation, as well as a demonstration on how to assess habitats and how to scout for beneficial insects in the field, on Sunday, June 26, at 7 p.m. The walk starts at Common House, and is free and open to the public. There will be a Q&A afterwards.

“Farming with beneficial insects is a science-based pest management strategy that seeks to integrate beneficial insects back into cropping systems for natural pest control,” Fowler says. “This strategy is based upon ongoing research that continues to demonstrate a link between the conservation of natural habitat and reduced pest problems on farms, orchards, and gardens.”

Jarrod Fowler works for the Xerces Society as a Pollinator and Conservation Biological Control Specialist. He has experience as a habitat restoration consultant, independent bee researcher, and lecturer at the University of Massachusetts. He is now leading the Xerces Society’s extensive pollinator habitat restoration efforts with fruit and vegetable growers in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and beyond. Fowler also collaborates with the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to design and test habitat systems for beneficial insects on organic vegetable farms. This event is supported by NESARE and USDA-NRCS.

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