The Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge invites you and your family to come on over and join us  for “Monarchs, Bees and Pollinator Day” event from 9:00 -3:00 pm at the refuge visitor center located at 1371 Wildlife Drive in Springville, TN as we celebrate our all-important pollinators. The day will feature speakers and activities that focus on the Monarch butterfly, other butterflies, bees, and native insect pollinators as well as enhancing their habitats.

A series of speakers will present programs that will include:

• 9:00 am –  “Monarch Butterfly Conservation” – Danny Kimberlin
• 11:00 am – “Insects/Butterflies/Moths and more” –  Entomologist, Glenn Lee
• 1:00 pm  –  “Bees and Beekeeping” – Bernie Leslie/James Hinton –  Kentucky Lake Beekeeper’s Association

The day will also include activities for the family. A demonstration bee hive and beekeeping equipment will be on hand provided by the Kentucky Lake Beekeepers Association.  The day will also include a tour of the refuge’s demonstration pollinator patch where live Monarch caterpillars, butterflies, and native plants are easy to see. An additional challenge offered is to play Pollinator Garden Bingo, where participants find different pollinator or garden species for a small prize.

Have you ever used a butterfly net?  Rangers will be on hand with plenty of nets to show you how and to help identify what you catch through the help of a free app called iNaturalist.

On the refuge back patio will be native milkweed plants for sale as well as milkweed seeds and seeds from other native flowers that enhance a backyard to attract pollinators.

For more information about upcoming Refuge programs or about the refuge in general, please call the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters at 731-642-2091 or see our website at www.fws.gov/refuge/Tennessee or on facebook at www.facebook.com/tennesseenwr.

Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, encompassing 51,358 acres of water, forests, farmland and grasslands, is located on and around Kentucky Lake.  Established in 1945, the refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as an important resting and feeding area for wintering waterfowl and other migratory birds.  The refuge’s three units, the Duck River, Big Sandy and Busseltown stretch along 65 miles of the Tennessee River.

Photos of Monarch Butterflies by Clayton Ferrell