Join Kettle Moraine Land Trust and Geneva Lake Conservancy for a seed-collection outing to Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in celebration of 2022 Land Trust Days! Saturday, September 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. we’ll be harvesting ripe seed of native prairie plants at the Turner Tract, just northwest of Genoa City, Wisconsin on County Trunk H.
Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2012, spanning the state line in McHenry County, Illinois and Walworth County, Wisconsin. The Turner Tract was the first portion of the refuge to be open to the public. Former agricultural lands occupying portions of the site were seeded with native prairie plants by Ducks Unlimited prior to the transfer of the property to the US Fish & Wildlife Service for inclusion in the Refuge.
Volunteers from throughout the Hackmatack region will be on hand to harvest native prairie seeds under the guidance of professional staff from Kettle Moraine Land Trust and Geneva Lake Conservancy. Volunteers are encouraged to wear long pants, long sleeves, closed-toe shoes or boots, and a sun hat. Bring a refillable water bottle. Seeds collected there during the Land Trust Days event will be turned over to the US Fish & Wildlife Service for native species enrichment within the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.