TOPEKA, Ill. — The national Pollinator Partnership (https://pollinator.org/), has joined forces with several organizations and agencies to launch a new initiative called Project Wingspan, and they are seeking volunteers to collect seed throughout the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. All of the seed collected across the six states will be processed initially right here in Central Illinois, at the IDNR’s Mason State Tree Nursery.
University of Illinois Extension in Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties is pleased to partner with the Mason State Tree Nursery to host a Pollinator Partnership workshop in Topeka, Ill., to teach volunteers interested in contributing to Project Wingspan how to identify and collect seed from their target list of native plants that support monarchs, rusty patched bumble bees, and other native pollinators. Participants will also learn proper data collection techniques using a GIS app for mobile devices.
This free training will take place during National Pollinator Week 2019 on June 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Mason State Tree Nursery, 17855 N Co Rd 2400 E, Topeka, IL. Registration closes on June 11 or when the workshop is full. You may read all the details of the workshop and register here:
https://tinyurl.com/Illinois-PWSeedCollectionWS
As Project Wingspan notes, this is a wonderful opportunity — by combining efforts with volunteers in six states — to make a valuable contribution to supporting migrating monarchs and the imperiled rusty batched bumblebee! To find out more about Pollinator Partnership visit https://pollinator.org/
— University of Illinois Extension
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