Crab Orchard Refuge seeks volunteers

The Friends of Crab Orchard Refuge and the Crab Orchard Refuge staff will be hosting a Volunteer Recruitment Day for their new Pollinator Habitat Restoration Project. 

On Saturday, Oct. 15, the Friends of Crab Orchard Refuge will be presenting a program on native pollinators and how to establish a pollinator garden using native wildflowers.  

They will start at 10 a.m. at the Refuge Visitor Center.  

Then on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 9 a.m., volunteers will be needed to help plant and mulch over 300 native wildflowers and trees at the Pigeon Creek Environmental Education Complex. 

The Pollinator Habitat Restoration project is a joint project of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Friends of Crab Orchard Refuge.

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators perform an essential but often overlooked service – they transport pollen between flowers, allowing plants to make seeds, grow fruits, and reproduce. 

However, biologists fear several butterfly and bee species have disappeared from parts of their range because of habitat loss, introduced diseases, and overuse of pesticides.

For more information, contact the volunteer program coordinator at 618-998-5933.