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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Bees and plants go together like…well, bees and plants. We’re excited to announce a new website dedicated to better understanding and protecting North America’s bumble bees.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>*************************************<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='line-height:115%'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>January 22, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Contacts: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-left:.5in;line-height:115%'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Rich Hatfield</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>, Conservation Biologist, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; (503) 468-8405, </span><a href="mailto:rich@xerces.org"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>rich@xerces.org</span></a><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-left:.5in;line-height:115%'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Scott Hoffman Black</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>, Executive Director, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; (503) 449-3792, </span><a href="file:///C:\Users\Matthew\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary%20Internet%20Files\Content.Outlook\8QLV12SX\sblack@xerces.htm"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>sblack@xerces.org</span></a><span class=MsoHyperlink><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='line-height:115%'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#222222'>Grab Your Camera…Bumble Bee Watch is Here!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#222222'>New web site is launched to help identify and protect bumble bees<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'>PORTLAND, Ore---A new web site launched today allows people to be directly involved in protecting bumble bees throughout North America. BumbleBeeWatch.org enables people to connect with experts and other enthusiasts, and help build a comprehensive picture of where bumble bees are thriving and where they need help. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'>Furry, hardworking bumble bees are essential to wildlands, gardens, and farms, helping to deliver food security for both people and wildlife alike. Alarmingly, many recent reports suggest that we may be losing their familiar buzz from our summer landscapes due to habitat loss, insecticide use, disease, and climate change. More information is needed to determine their conservation status, and that process demands a continent-wide collaborative effort. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'>“We have an amazing community of citizen scientists who have helped us follow a handful of bee species,” said Rich Hatfield, the Xerces Society conservation biologist who coordinated creation of Bumble Bee Watch. “Hopefully this new web site will generate greater awareness and allow us to draw more people into this community.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'>A smartphone or simple digital camera (and a computer) is all that’s needed to start exploring BumbleBeeWatch.org. In addition to u</span>ploading photos of bumble bees, individuals can identify the bumble bees, learn about their ecology, and connect with bumble bee experts and other citizen scientists engaged in pollinator conservation. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'>The information gathered will help locate rare or endangered populations, as well as track species whose status is less well known. "Bumble Bee Watch will greatly benefit our at-risk pollinator conservation program," said Sheila Colla, project leader for Wildlife Preservation Canada’s At-Risk Pollinator Project, a partner in Bumble Bee Watch. “By locating rare bumble bee populations and collecting information on their ecological requirements, citizen scientists can help conserve these important insects.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'>Bumble Bee Watch is a partnership between the Xerces Society, </span>Wildlife Preservation Canada<span style='color:#222222'>, </span>the University of Ottawa, <span style='color:#222222'>the </span>Montreal Insectarium<span style='color:#222222'>, the </span>Natural History Museum in London<span style='color:#222222'>, and </span>BeeSpotter. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'>“Bumble Bee Watch unites scientists and conservation organizations in Canada and the United States in the study and protection of North America’s bumble bees,” said Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society. “We are grateful for the hard work and commitment that our partners have made. This web site will transform the way bumble bees are viewed and protected.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><b><span style='color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>###<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>For More Information<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'>Learn more about BumbleBeeWatch.org:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol;color:#222222'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='color:#222222'>Watch this video to learn how to contribute your photos, </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Kp3Awf2MQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Kp3Awf2MQ</a> <span style='color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol;color:#222222'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='color:#222222'>Learn how to take helpful photos of bumble bees, </span><a href="http://www.bumblebeewatch.org/contents/photo-tips/">www.bumblebeewatch.org/contents/photo-tips/</a> <span style='color:#222222'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol;color:#222222'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='color:#222222'>Meet the Bumble Bee Watch partners, </span><a href="http://bumblebee.huasambo.com/contents/about/">http://bumblebeewatch.org/contents/about/</a><span style='color:#222222;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'> </span><span style='color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Watch the Bumble Bee Watch trailer video on YouTube, </span><a href="http://youtu.be/vTLKMAtXGnA"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>http://youtu.be/vTLKMAtXGnA</span></a><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Read more about bumble bees at risk on Xerces’ Project Bumble Bee web page, </span><a href="http://www.xerces.org/bumblebees/"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>http://www.xerces.org/bumblebees/</span></a><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><em><span style='font-family:"Minion Pro","serif";font-style:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><em><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";font-style:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><em><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>About the Xerces Society</span></b></em><em><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";font-style:normal'><o:p></o:p></span></b></em></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Protecting the Life that Sustains Us</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Since 1971, the Society has been at the forefront of invertebrate protection, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs worldwide. To learn more about our work or to donate to the Society, please visit </span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001nJnaKMBwYCAguwWGA_qLheYSzpJ_6ZDsrjtw2v1kXAu1WHcprshLwht2WNgNT1ZoAT7n6H5bgP5B5RYqpz2hq5doAUxKkJFj-6hkaZj9G1U=" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>www.xerces.org</span></a><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>________<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:6.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Matthew Shepherd<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>Communications Director<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:6.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>Protecting the Life that Sustains Us<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:5.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>628 NE Broadway, Ste 200, Portland, OR 97232-1324, USA<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#0070C0'><a href="mailto:mdshepherd@xerces.org"><span style='color:#0070C0'>mdshepherd@xerces.org</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tel: (503) 232-6639 ext. 110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Toll free: 1-855-232 6639 ext. 110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cell: (503) 807-1577<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fax: (503) 233-6794<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:6.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Stay in touch:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:red'><a href="http://www.xerces.org/"><span style='color:red;text-decoration:none'>xerces.org</span></a></span></b> <b><span style='color:#17365D'><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Xerces-Society/193182577358618"><span style='color:#17365D;text-decoration:none'>Facebook</span></a></span></b> <b><span style='color:#984806'><a href="http://www.xerces.org/enewsletters/"><span style='color:#984806;text-decoration:none'>E-newsletter</span></a></span></b> <b><span style='color:#0070C0'><a href="https://twitter.com/xerces_society"><span style='text-decoration:none'>Twitter</span></a></span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:6.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:6.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>To join the Society, make a donation, or read about our work, please visit <span style='color:#0070C0'><a href="http://www.xerces.org/"><span style='color:#0070C0'>www.xerces.org</span></a></span>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>