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The MidCoast Watersheds Council virtual community meeting on Thursday, May 6, will see Matthew Shepherd of The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation talk about what we can do to protect and restore pollinator populations.

Bees and other pollinators are struggling due to habitat loss, pesticides and disease. But the good news is that there are things we can do to make our landscape better for them — and if we all do something, together we can have a big impact. Shepherd will introduce you to the diversity and natural history of North America’s native bees, and present straightforward ways in which you can make your garden, neighborhood or city a pollinator haven. Find out how to select flowers, provide nest sites and why you should avoid pesticides. There are also community science projects to join in and other ways to engage your community.

Shepherd has spent more than 30 years working with people from all walks of life to create better places for wildlife. His career began in England and took him to Kenya before his arrival in the US two decades ago. He has worked for the Xerces Society since 1999, initially at the vanguard of a national effort to protect pollinators, but now focused on communications, community engagement and urban conservation. He is author of numerous articles and other publications and coauthor of books, including “Attracting Native Pollinators” and “Gardening for Butterflies.” He learned gardening at his mother’s side and has created and maintained wildlife gardens everywhere he has lived.

In addition to the upcoming community meeting, the MidCoast Watersheds Council’s annual report is now available to view on its website. Despite the pandemic hampering a lot of the group’s activities, members were still able to do some great work last year.

The May 6 meeting will run from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, For more information or to access the report, go to www.midcoastwatersheds.org.