Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge partners with community for pollinator prairie project

25 Jul 2024
Community, News, Education, Economic Development
Recently, the local community and partners of Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge unveiled a sprouting pollinator prairie after the removal of several buildings in the area.
In the summer of 2023, refuge staff decided to remove multiple refuge buildings that no longer met station needs or required expensive repairs to be used. Once removed, these buildings left foundational footprints that needed to be reclaimed. Nearby, a 2-acre, smooth brome field sat that also needed to be reclaimed. Smooth brome is an invasive grass species that can grow aggressively and outcompete native species. At that time, these areas only provided a small ecological benefit but held so much potential.
Refuge staff saw this as an opportunity to envision the area around the office and Sedge Meadow Classroom as a place to create pollinator habitat and provide educational opportunities. Staff then approached the Friends of Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Board to seek funding assistance in acquiring native seeds for a highly diverse, wildflower dominated prairie. The Friends mission is to foster community understanding and appreciation of natural resources while supporting the refuge goals of restoration and education through volunteering and financial assistance. They realized the importance of this project and the benefit it would have for the refuge and educational visits and were happy to dedicate their time, funds and support.
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