Cornell Webinar Takes on the Growing Global Threat to Insect Pollinators

From wild bees and butterflies to beetles and flies, insect pollinators help sustain ecosystems, food production, and human health. A new Cornell webinar will explore why these essential species are disappearing—and what can be done to protect them.

The Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health will spotlight the growing threats facing insect pollinators during its next One Health Around the World webinar on Wednesday, October 28, from 1:00–2:00 p.m. EDT. The free, one-hour virtual event will bring together experts to examine why pollinator populations are declining, what those losses could mean for ecosystems and people, and how conservation efforts can help reverse the trend.

Insect pollinators play an essential role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting global food production. While honey bees often receive the most attention, pollination depends on a much broader community that includes wild bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, and other insects. Together, these species contribute to plant reproduction, biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and the ecological systems that support both animal and human health.

Why Pollinator Decline Is a One Health Issue

Pollinator losses are increasingly being linked to multiple overlapping pressures, including habitat destruction, climate change, infectious disease, and widespread insecticide exposure. Because these threats do not occur in isolation, understanding pollinator health requires looking beyond individual species and considering the larger connections between environmental, animal, and human health.

That interconnected approach is central to the One Health model. Changes in insect populations can affect plant communities, wildlife food sources, crop production, ecosystem resilience, and ultimately human livelihoods and nutrition. Declines in pollinators therefore represent more than a conservation concern—they can signal broader disruptions throughout ecological systems.

Experts Will Examine Causes, Consequences, and Conservation

The webinar will feature Drs. Melissa Guzman, Wendy Leuenberger, and Robin Radcliffe, who will discuss the drivers behind insect pollinator declines and the potential consequences of continued population losses. The presentation will also explore conservation strategies designed to protect pollinator diversity and strengthen the ecosystems that depend on these species.

Participants can expect a broader discussion of how research, habitat protection, environmental policy, land management, and public awareness may all contribute to pollinator conservation. The session will also highlight why preserving a wide range of insect species—not only the best-known pollinators—is important for maintaining resilient ecosystems.

Connecting Wildlife, People, and the Environment

The Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health works globally to develop and implement science-based solutions to challenges at the intersection of wildlife health, domestic animal health, human health, livelihoods, and the environment. Its One Health Around the World webinar series brings those connections into focus by examining complex health challenges through a multidisciplinary lens.

The upcoming pollinator webinar offers veterinarians, researchers, students, conservation professionals, and anyone interested in One Health an opportunity to better understand how the health of some of the planet’s smallest species can have consequences that reach far beyond the insect world.

The free webinar will take place Wednesday, October 28, from 1:00–2:00 p.m. EDT and will include both a presentation and discussion.

Register here: https://ecornell.cornell.edu/keynotes/overview/K102826/