Prairiekeeping - The Ritual of Seed Gathering and Project Wingspan
Mennonite Church of Normal, 805 S Cottage Ave, Normal, IL, 61761 Map
Live Stream Available
Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains
Note: This program will be presented both in-person and by livestream. The link to join the livestream will be posted here closer to the program date. A recording of the program will be available on our YouTube channel.
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Could “prairiekeeping” become a more irresistible trend than beekeeping? Restoring and recreating prairies and pollinator gardens involves a ritual of fun, uplifting activities. Seed gathering in particular, is an exceedingly fun way to enjoy the autumn outdoors. Learn details about how and when to collect seeds as well as information about processing, storage, and best use of collected seeds. Find out about Project Wingspan, Pollinator Partnership’s statewide initiative that partners prairies with local seed collection networks to gather seeds for redistribution among local pollinator habitat projects.
Presenter Bio:
Eleanor Schumacher is an Illinois pollination ecologist serving as the state coordinator of Pollinator Partnership’s Illinois Project Wingspan since 2021. She also works as an Illinois Department of Agriculture apiary inspector since 2010. Fascinated by the correlation between pollinator habitat quality and bee health, she pursued studies in pollination ecology, receiving a Master’s Degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from University of Illinois in 2018.