Pollinator Clinic

Darke County Parks invites everyone to attend the Pollinator Clinic on Saturday, February 4th at 1pm at the Nature Center. Anyone who visited Shawnee Prairie last summer or fall surely noticed the beautiful wildflowers lining the park entrance and adjacent field. Contrary to popular belief, the blooms were not installed for human enjoyment although that was a wonderful side effect. The flowers were planted for the pollinators: creatures like bees, butterflies (especially Monarchs), moths, birds, beetles, and other insects. The Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative, a partnership with ODOT and many other agencies, strives to create and improve pollinator habitat in Ohio.

For this informative workshop Darke County Parks welcomes John Kaiser of the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Donald Knight Jr. of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to share their expertise. Come find out what you can do to join the movement and mow less: how to create a pollinator oasis in your yard, obtain seeds, learn about habitat conservation, find funding, and discover local and regional initiatives.

The park staff requests that attendees register for this free program by February 2nd by calling the Nature Center or emailing the program coordinator Mandy Martin at mmartin@darkecountyparks.org. For questions about this or any other park district programs, please call the Darke County Parks’ Nature Center at 548-0165.

Did you know?-The honey bee alone contributes to the production of billions of dollars worth of crops in America every year.