Summer Camp Webinar #2: Invertebrates in the Pasture

In this three-part 2026 Summer Camp Webinar Series we're focusing on those tiny conservation co-conspirators that fly, crawl, squirm, and creep through your fields and gardens, doing good work alongside you. Get up close and personal with Invertebrates! This series is brought to you in partnership with the Xerces Society. Our 2nd Summer Camp lunch Zoom will focus on Invertebrates in the Pasture. Are you ready to get grazing with bugs?

These are casual, live lunch Zooms, with expert guidance but plenty of time for interaction. Bring questions, eat lunch, sip coffee, drink tea, and be in community with like-minded women learning together to heal the earth. Pets and children are welcome on screen!

WiWiC Host:

Kriss Marion, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute Advancement Director, WiWiC Communications Lead

Presenters: 

Karin Jokela, Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Xerces Society, NRCS Partner Biologist, Minnesota

Karin is a pollinator conservation specialist with the Xerces Society. She collaborates with NRCS staff in Minnesota and Wisconsin to provide individual consulting to farmers on habitat restoration and biodiversity conservation, and serves as an adviser to staff of other conservation organizations. Karin received her M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Iowa State University. She and her husband also steward land near Cannon Falls, MN, where they have managed a variety of enterprises, including organic vegetables, a native plant nursery, Kernza, a hazelnut orchard, and small ruminant livestock, among others. Biodiversity cultivation is a central tenet of their operation.

Krysten Zummo, Range Ecologist, National Audubon Society

Krysten is a Range Ecologist with the National Audubon Society’s Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Regions. She works with grazing landowners in Minnesota, Iowa, & Wisconsin for certification through Audubon's Conservation Ranching program. This program recognizes beef and bison operations that utilize rotational/regenerative grazing practices as a key management tool for bird and other wildlife habitat. Previously, she has worked with private landowners as a Farm Bill Biologist with Pheasants Forever and through conservation easements with Mississippi Valley Conservancy, a regional land trust in southwestern Wisconsin. She is a life-long birder and spends her free time exploring the Driftless Area with her partner Thomas and their dog Bodhi.

Most WiWiC events are FREE! To help support the cost of this and other events, please give what you can to help the WiWiC hive to thrive. Your contribution keeps WiWiC events accessible for all women who want to learn how to heal and protect land and water.

About WiWiC Summer Camp

WiWiC Summer Camp is in its 6th Year! This monthly webinar series digs deep into topics of interest that WiWiC participants have articulated throughout the previous year. They are well organized by highly educated and experienced conservation professionals and practitioners, but intended to be fairly informal and include time for questions and resource sharing. The chat is a lively and interactive space where participants add links and advice, as well as pop in questions. The 2026 Series has three webinars focused on invertebrates. Be sure to register individually for each to get the links. See previous Summer Camp webinars at our YouTube playlist.

About Wisconsin Women in Conservation

WiWiC is a state-wide collaborative effort led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in partnership with state and federal conservation agencies, national and local environmental organizations, and other farm advocacy groups. WiWiC brings together Wisconsin's women landowners, farmers, farm workers, urban growers, and conservation professionals for actionable adventures at inspiring locations.

About Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats. As a science-based organization, they both conduct their own research and rely upon the most up-to-date information to guide their conservation work.  Key program areas are: pollinator conservation, endangered species conservation, and reducing pesticide use and impacts.

About the National Audubon Society

For 120 years and counting, the National Audubon Society has preserved bird habitats, conducted scientific research, influenced policymakers to enact commonsense conservation laws, and engaged communities across the hemisphere to protect the natural resources upon which birds—and we—depend. By "bending the bird curve," they are working to halt, and ultimately reverse, the decline of birds across the Americas.

About Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

MFAI is a non-profit organization that has been cultivating resiliency through research, education, and policy work since 1984. With a broad coalition of public and private partners, The Institute supports farmers, food systems and communities in the Upper Midwest and beyond through a range of programs and initiatives. We believe agriculture can sustain both human and ecosystem health, while advancing food security, independence, and justice. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news and events.

Content Disclaimer

While the WiWiC project strives to make the information provided to individuals as timely and accurate as possible, we make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the content of our webinars. The information presented is solely the speakers’ expressed views and WiWiC expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in content.

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