Pollinator Steward Certification Program

Agapostemon virescens Course Overview

This course includes lectures on foundations of pollination ecology, including implications for conservation, unique pollinator groups, and functional traits. Lectures also include practical applications and checklists for provisioning resources that pollinators need to survive, such as nesting sites and floral resources. This course specifically highlights pollinators in and around New England, as well as regional considerations for pollinator habitat. Finally, this course also includes discussions on management: pruning, pesticides, aesthetics, site evaluation, and more. Students will come away with a well-rounded understanding of how to create and manage pollinator habitat, as well as educate others on the creation, maintenance, and importance of such habitats.

Example topics include:

  • Plant-pollinator communities
  • Beetle and fly pollination
  • Common Massachusetts bee genera
  • Pollen specialist bees
  • Pollinators and pesticides
  • Wild-type natives vs. native cultivars
  • Male vs. female bees

And many more!

Bombus on milkweed Instructors

With 14 total instructors and 10+ hours of instruction, the Pollinator Steward Course provides a balanced presentation of hot topics and core conversations in pollination ecology and landscape management. You will hear from experts, including:

  • Nicole Bell (principal instructor and coordinator), UMass Extension
  • Dr. Robert Gegear of UMass Dartmouth
  • Joan Milam of UMass Amherst
  • Sloan Tomlinson @thatwaspguy
  • Dr. Aaron Anderson with the Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation
  • Sara Burrell of The Caterpillar Lab

… and many more, including various Extension professionals from around New England!

Registration

The cost of this course is $249 (an introductory limited time special is $199 for February 2025). The fee gives you access to:

  • 6 self-paced online modules containing materials and additional resources
  • 30 recorded lectures, including 13 guest lectures from various pollinator experts
  • Discussion boards and the ability to network, share, and ask questions with other students
  • Opportunity to connect 1:1 with UMass Extension at the end of the course to ask questions, discuss future directions, etc.
  • Upon successful completion, a Pollinator Steward certification through UMass Extension
Click here to register online using a credit card.
 
Click here to register by mail and pay by check.

Narcissus bulb fly Course Details

This course is offered fully online, and it’s asynchronous, meaning you will have on-demand access to lectures and course content at any time, within a defined course period. Once registered, you will have 90 days to complete course content and schedule your end-of-course meeting.

Technical requirements to successfully complete this course include:

  • Computer access - Regular, reliable access to a computer or other device, and the internet, is a must!  Lectures, quizzes, and assignment submission are all online.
  • UMass network credentials – Registrants will be issued a UMass NetID, which is needed to gain access to the Canvas learning management system and view all course materials, to view lectures, and to complete assignments.
  • A suitable device capable of connecting to the internet - (e.g., desktop or laptop computer, tablet, smartphone; these are listed in the order of preference/convenience for remote instruction) with audio capability. A microphone and speakers are also necessary, and having a webcam is encouraged and will enhance the interactive experience for your end-of-course 1:1 meeting.
  • A fast and reliable internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (cellular connections are slower/less reliable in many locations). The following page has detailed information that will help you to determine bandwidth requirements for Zoom: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0060748
  •  Cursory familiarity with Zoom - If you are a new user of the Zoom web-conferencing platform, consider practicing with family or friends. There are also a variety of YouTube videos that can be helpful. Note that Zoom is only necessary for your final meeting.
  • Cursory familiarity with Canvas – This course is delivered entirely via Canvas. Canvas is the Learning Management System at UMass Amherst currently used for this course: https://www.umass.edu/it/canvas

Requirements for certification:

  • Complete all modules, including associated quizzes
  • Complete final exam
  • Complete pollinator habitat quality assessment assignment
  • Complete end-of-course survey
  • Arrange and attend final Zoom meeting to discuss course

Xylocopa male Course curriculum:

Module 1: Pollination and Pollinators

  • Includes 3 lectures; run time 50 minutes

Module 2: Non-Bee Pollinators

  • Includes 4 lectures; run time 2 hours

Module 3: All About Bees

  • Includes 10 lectures; run time 3 hours

Module 4: Floral Resource Provisioning

  • Includes lectures; run time 1.25 hours

Module 5: Nest Site Provisioning

  • Includes 3 lectures; run time 45 minutes

Module 6: Management

  • Includes 6 lectures; run time 2 hours