NM Healthy Soil Working Group is pleased to present this webinar in partnership with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.
Join Xerces’ Jennifer Hopwood and Kaitlin Haase to learn about the incredibly diverse world of soil invertebrates. Soil health is directly linked to the animals that live within the soil, and these subterranean communities can tell gardeners and farmers how functional and resilient their soils are. Jennifer and Kaitlin will profile the key groups of soil invertebrates and the roles they play in soil health, and share resources for identification and monitoring of these invertebrates.
Jennifer Hopwood – Jennifer provides resources and training for pollinator and beneficial insect habitat management and restoration in a variety of landscapes. She oversees a team of four USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service partner biologists and works closely with the NRCS. Jennifer has authored a number of publications and articles, and is co-author of several books, including Farming with Native Beneficial Insects, 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, and a roadside revegetation manual. Jennifer has a master’s degree in entomology from the University of Kansas. Along with work as a research specialist conducting invertebrate field research and identification, Jennifer was an instructor in biology and environmental science at Iowa State University and Des Moines Area Community College prior to joining Xerces in 2009.
Kaitlin Haase – As the Southwest Pollinator Conservation Specialist since 2020, Kaitlin works to create climate-resilient, connected pollinator habitat in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. She collaborates with and educates public and private land managers in New Mexico and the desert Southwest on pollinator-friendly practices for landscaping, gardening, farming, and open space restoration. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Northern Arizona University, where she studied impacts of climate change on aquatic invertebrate diversity in natural and human-made ponds.