West Branch, Iowa— The National Park Service is looking for volunteers to help plant seeds of native flowers that will attract pollinators to the prairie at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. All ages are welcome. E-mail heho_information@nps.gov or call (319) 643-2541 if you are interested in participating.
The National Park Service will plant in parts of the prairie that were treated last year to remove invasive plants. “We're using a seed mix designed for the site that includes forbs-- flowering plants that are not grasses-- that will be beneficial to pollinators,” said Jessica Salesman, biological science technician for the National Park Service. The plantings will focus on increasing the diversity of flowering plants in the prairie and adding species that bloom early in the season. The natural landscape of Iowa has changed dramatically in the last 200 years and areas remaining in a natural, ecologically diverse state cover just a tiny fraction of what they once did.
If you would like to volunteer to plant seeds, please meet at the Visitor Center at 8:30 a.m. on April 29th for an orientation and to get signed up. Work will be from about 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Dress for the weather, and wear comfortable work clothes. Long pants and closed toe shoes are required. Bring a water bottle, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, long sleeved shirt, and a snack. The park has work gloves and other required tools.
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. For more information go online at www.nps.gov/herberthoover or call (319) 643-2541.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for over 400 parks in the National Park System. They work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
