Sitting Down with Xerces Society: Q & A with Executive Director Scott Hoffman Black (Part 1)

Xerces Society Executive Director Scott Hoffman Black | Photo courtesy of Xerces Society

Introducing Xerces Society Executive Director Scott Hoffman Black! We sat down with him to chat about all things pollinator conservation, pollinator fun facts and, yes, cocktails! Keep on reading for an inside look at our interview.  

Hi, Scott. Thanks so much for sitting down with us today to talk about pollinator conservation! We’re excited to learn more about the Xerces Society. 

Some of our readers might not be familiar with Xerces. Could you explain the mission of the society?  

Our mission is to protect the natural world by conserving invertebrates and their habitat. But that short mission really does not tell the whole story behind why we must act to protect these animals. A few stats might help: 

• You can thank insect pollinators for one third of every mouthful of food that you eat.  

• Without small flies in streams for young fish to eat – your last grilled salmon would have been impossible.  

• If you like songbirds, you can thank an insect – 96 percent of birds rely on insects for survival. 

 With well over one million known species, insects and other invertebrates eclipse all other forms of life on Earth in terms of diversity. They are essential to the reproduction of most flowering plants, including many fruits, vegetables, and nuts; they are food for birds, fish, and other animals; they filter water and help clean rivers and streams; and they clean up waste from plants and animals. Just four of the many insect services—dung burial, pest control, pollination, and wildlife nutrition—have an estimated annual value in the United States alone of at least $70 billion. They truly are the “little things that run the world.” 

 Though they are indisputably the most important creatures on earth, invertebrates are in trouble. We are seeing declines across all insect groups. Given the centrality of insects to terrestrial and freshwater aquatic ecosystems and our food system, the importance of this crisis cannot be overstated. Xerces works to stem the loss of insect diversity and the services they provide; by taking steps at all levels to protect, restore, and enhance habitat across landscapes; from wildlands to farmlands to urban cores.   

What’s the most exciting project that Xerces is working on right now? 

We have so many projects, it’s hard to choose! Through our holistic approach, we use applied research by working with academic scientists and thousands of community scientists to understand how to protect and restore habitat for these animals. Using this information, we work to educate and inspire action and then provide the tools and training needed for successful conservation. We also advocate for policies and laws that will help these animals thrive.  Here are a few examples of our work. 

Xerces focuses on the local level through our Bring Back the Pollinators Campaign and at the municipal level through Bee City USA. We work with farmers with a network of pollinator specialists working with USDA NRCS, and through Bee Better Certified – the only third-party certification program for pollinators. We have campaigns for specific groups like fireflies and bumble bees, and we are also working on policy initiatives at the local and national level.  

Thanks for telling us about Xerces and the projects you’re working on. Our readers would be really interested in learning a little bit about you and your background! 

I grew up in Omaha, the youngest of nine kids. We did not have money to go on far-flung vacations, but I was fortunate enough to have a natural area near my house that had not been developed. It was about two square blocks and had a small stream, a meadow, and some trees. Growing up, I spent countless hours catching butterflies by day and fireflies by night and turning over rocks to find snakes and lizards. Many years later, I went to graduate school and studied invertebrates and how to protect them.  

Could you tell us about your role at Xerces, and how you got involved?  

I am the Executive Director here at Xerces.  As I mentioned above, I had a love of insects from a young age.  After graduate school, I worked for science-based conservation groups for several years, protecting wilderness and wild rivers. In 2000, I had the opportunity to take over as director of the Xerces Society.  We only had four employees, but I saw that Xerces could really do great things, and we now have 54 employees who all work diligently to make real conservation gains possible. For the past 20 years, I have been able to follow my passion for conservation and my love of insects – not a bad gig!   

What are your personal favorite bee facts? 

My favorite fact is that most species of bees are solitary. When most people think about bees, they think about honeybees that live in a hive.  For the vast majority of bee species there is no hive, instead the females collect pollen and nectar (sometimes called bee bread when it is mixed and fed to young) and provision a nest (usually just a hole) in the soil, a tree or a branch.    

What do you wish everyone in America knew about bees? 

I wish that people knew the incredible the diversity of bees.  There are more than 3,600 species in the US and Canada alone. They come in every shape and size and are found in almost all terrestrial ecosystems. They are vital, not just for our food, but for supporting wild ecosystems.  

What's the most popular bee myth that you’d like to debunk?  

Many people think that keeping a beehive is a way to help bees. This is simply not true. Keeping a beehive is fun, educational and can provide sweet honey, but it does nothing to help honeybees (since they are not at-risk of extinction) or any of the other 3,600 species in North America. It is also important to note that if you want to have a hive, make sure you take care of it to minimize disease. These diseases can go from your hive to other hives and can even infect native bees. Keep a hive if you have the time to care for it and if you want honey, but if you want to provide for honeybees and native bees alike, plant flowers and do not use pesticides!  

We’ve learned that there are many species of pollinators. What do you think is the most surprising pollinator that most people have never heard of? 

There are so many cool pollinators. Beetles, flies, wasps, butterflies, moths, birds and bats all pollinate certain plants. One of the largest pollinators is the lemur in Madagascar—many lemur species drink nectars from flowers, so they naturally move pollen between them.  There is also a slug that pollinates a water plant. The interaction with some plants is fantastic—some orchids trick insects into pollinating them because the flower looks like the female of that species! Just so cool.      

Stay tuned for part two of our interview with Scott where we dive into why bees are so important for our food supply and what we need to be concerned about with pollinator conservation. In the meantime, you can start your pollinator advocacy by getting your hands on some CanBee Bee’s Knees here! A portion of all sales directly benefits all of the Xerces Society’s pollinator conservation efforts.