[3] Examples of Xerces Society activities include advocating for invertebrates and their habitats, petitioning for the designation of endangered status for applicable species such as the monarch butterfly,[4] and public education projects.

Ongoing projects include the rehabilitation of habitat for endangered species, public education about the importance of native pollinators, and the restoration and protection of watersheds.

[5] The organization was founded by butterfly scientist Robert Michael Pyle from Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and was reincorporated with the Oregon Secretary of State on April 14, 1988.

[6] The Xerces Society started the Bee City USA program to encourage cities to encourage native pollinators by planting more native plants, providing more pollinator habitats, and limiting unnecessary pesticide spraying.

In August 2024, the Xerces Society and Center for Biological Diversity won a lawsuit against the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) over its widespread use of pesticides to address grasshopper and cricket infestations over millions of acres across 17 western states.