Bee Campus USA
Bee Campus USA
Research has shown significant declines in native pollinator population sizes and ranges globally. In fact, up to 40% of pollinator species on earth may be at risk of extinction in the coming years as a result of habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change.
Thinking globally and acting locally, Bee Campus USA provides a framework for campus communities to work together to conserve native pollinators. Bee Campus USA affiliates make commitments to conserve native pollinators by providing them with a healthy habitat that is rich in a variety of native plants, provides nest sites, and is protected from pesticides. Students, faculty, administrators, and staff work together to carry out these commitments and make their campus a better place for pollinators.
Virginia Tech, in the spirit of Ut Prosim, is proud to be a certified Bee Campus to fulfill our role as a leader in climate action in service to our community, the Commonwealth, and the world.
You can learn more about Bee Campus USA here.
Pollinators and the Climate Action Commitment
In November 2019, President Tim Sands called for the renewal of and revisions to the existing Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment to ensure the most stringent climate and sustianability standards are implemented as Virginia Tech grows and seeks to be a leader in environmental stewardship.
The mission of the 2020 Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment is to achieve carbon neutrality by changing the university's physical infrastructure, collective and individual behaviors, and educational mission; to engage everyone in creating a culture of sustainability; and to achieve these goals through just and equitable means.
By participating in Bee Campus USA, Virginia Tech will get closer to reaching Goals 6 and 10 of the Climate Action Commitment. Goal 6 states that Virginia Tech's agricultural, forestry, and land use operations will be carbon neutral by 2030. Goal 10 states that Virginia Tech will integrate the Climate Action Commitment into its educational mission through the Climate Action Living Laboratory.
Get Involved!
Do you want to learn more about pollinators, their habitats, or the threats that they face? Check out these courses offered right here at Virginia Tech:
ALS 3404 - Ecological Agriculture
AT 0174 - Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management
AT 0424 - Nutrient Management Planning
AT 0434 - Pest Management
AT 0514 - Cont. Agricultural Issues
BIOL 1064 - Plants and Civilization
BIOL 3014 - Insect Biology
ENT 2004 - Insects and Human Society
ENT 2254 - Bees and Beekeeping
ENT 2804 - Bees: Biology, Diversity, and Sustainability
ENT 4254 - Insect Pest Management
ENT 4264 - Pesticide Usage
ENT 6354 - Insect Behavior and Ecology
Keep an eye out for an event to celebrate National Honey Bee Day on August 21!
Sponsor: Master Naturalists (NRV Chapter)
Title: Stadium Woods Invasive Species Removal
Description: Join members of the Bee Campus VT committee and the NRV Chapter of the Master Naturalists to help remove invasive species from Stadium Woods.
Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Time: 3:00-5:00 PM
Format: In-person
Location: Meet on the North end of the woods at the VT Engage parking lot (F/S). There is legal parking on Clay Street, Warren Street, and Green Street
Event Contact: Emily Vollmer (vollmere@vt.edu)
Notes: Wear gloves and closed toed shoes. Bring shovels if you have them. Also if participants are not a Master Gardener, Master Naturalist, faculty or staff at Virginia Tech they will need to sign a release form that will be available on scene.
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Sponsor: Bee Campus VT
Title: Bee Campus Pollinator Walk
Description: Join members of the Bee Campus VT committee to hear more about our campus certification process and celebrate the successful submission of our application to be considered for Bee Campus USA! We'll open with a few words about the program and then start the walk. During the walk, participants will learn more about pollinators and native plants, will get to see some pollinator habitats in person, and will learn more about urban forestry.
Date: Thursday, April 21, 2022
Time: 10:00-11:00 AM
Format: In-person
Location: Meet on the patio of the Hahn Horticulture Garden pavilion building
Event Contact: Chad Campbell (chaddc@vt.edu)
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Sponsor: Hillcrest Hall Council and Bee Campus VT
Title: Hillcrest Lavender Planting
Description: Help plant Bee Campus VT's first pollinator habitat and learn about local pollinators! We'll be planting a lavender bed near Hillcrest Hall.
Date: Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Time: 3:00-4:00 PM
Location: Hillcrest parking lot near the courtyard and Grove Lane/ Crest Lane
Format: In-person
Event contact: Susan Sale, ssale@vt.edu
Meet the members of the Bee Campus VT Committee
The Administrative Team serves as the main point of contact for Bee Campus VT and is responsible for submitting our initial and renewal applications to Bee Campus USA. This team ensures the completion of the annual report, secures funding, and facilitates quarterly group meetings.
Dr. Maggie Couvillon, Dept. of Entomology - Committee Chair
Dr. James Wilson, Dept. of Entymology - Committee Co-Chair, Pollinator Protection/Integrated Pest Management Team Leader
Jamie King, Campus Arborist - Committee Co-Chair
Ryan McDaniel-Neff, President of Pollinator Conservation Collective - Undergraduate Student Member
Chad Campbell, Graduate Student - Secretary/Treasurer
Emily Vollmer, Sustainability Coordinator - Member
Grace Steger, Arborist Intern - Undergraduate Student Member
Contact the Administrative Team by emailing Maggie Couvillon at mjc@vt.edu.
The Pollinator Monitoring and Habitat Assessment Team is responsible for creating and maintaining an inventory and map of Virginia Tech's current pollinator habitats, installing and maintaining pollinator nesting sites, developing habitat improvement plans, monitoring pollinator populations, and developing a Native Plant List.
Chad Campbell, Graduate Student - Secretary/Treasurer, Pollinator Monitoring and Habitat Assessment Team Leader
Dr. Maggie Couvillon, Dept. of Entomology - Committee Chair
Leighton Reid, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences - Member
Laura McHenry, Entomoloy Graduate Student - Member
Rob Ostrom, Entomology Graduate Student - Member
Susan Sale, Hillcrest Council Sustainability Officer - Member
Contact the Pollinator Monitoring and Habitat Assessment Team by emailing Chad Campbell at chaddc@vt.edu.
The Outreach Team is responsible for maintaining the Bee Campus VT website and social media accounts, designing signage, organizing service learning projects and events in coordination with the Landscape Team, and educating the VT community on Bee Campus VT's efforts.
Emily Vollmer, Sustainability Coordinator - Outreach Team Leader
Ryan McDaniel-Neff, President of Pollinator Conservation Collective - Undergraduate Student Member
Chad Campbell, Graduate Student - Secretary/Treasurer, Pollinator Monitoring and Habitat Assessment Team Leader
Nathan King, Campus Sustainability Manager - Member
Dr. Maggie Couvillon, Dept. of Entomology - Committee Chair
Yugasha Bakshi, Graduate Assistant to the Office of Sustainability - Member
Contact the Outreach Team by emailing Emily Vollmer at vollmere@vt.edu.
The Pollinator Protection/Integrated Pest Management Team is responsible for developing and updating Virginia Tech's pollinator protection and IPM plan which sets goals for reducing overall pesticide use, targeting reduction of those most harmful to pollinators. This team is also responsible for tracking implemetnation and reduction data.
Dr. James Wilson, Dept. of Entymology - Committee Co-Chair, Pollinator Protection/Integrated Pest Management Team Leader
Jamie King, Campus Arborist - Committee Co-Chair
Grace Steger, Arborist Intern - Undergraduate Student Member
Dr. Maggie Couvillon, Dept. of Entomology - Committee Chair
Matt Gart, Campus Landscape Architect - Member
Laura McHenry, Entomoloy Graduate Student - Member
Contact the Pollinator Protection/Integrated Pest Management Team by emailing James Wilson at keepbees@vt.edu.
The Landscape Team is responsible for identifying current and future habitat project sites, designing and installing pollinator plantings, and installing and maintaining site signage.
Jack Rosenberger, Campus Landscape Architect - Landscape Team Leader
Matt Gart, Campus Landscate Architect - Member
Jamie King, Campus Arborist - Committee Co-Chair
Grace Steger, Arborist Intern - Undergraduate Student Member
Dr. Maggie Couvillon, Dept. of Entomology - Committee Chair
Chad Campbell, Graduate Student - Secretary/Treasurer
Scott Douglas, Director of the Hahn Horticulture Garden - Member
Contact the Landscape Team by emailing Jack Rosenberger at jrosenb@vt.edu.
Join the Commitee
Are you interested in serving as a member on the Bee Campus VT committee? You can read more about our committee structure on this site. If you think you'd be a good fit for one of our teams, reach out to our Chair, Maggie Couvillon, for more information at mjc@vt.edu.