Rockwood Island USFW Refuge Tree Planting

U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFW) is reaching out to multiple organizations seeking volunteers to help plant some of the 22,000 tree seedlings acquired for the Rockwood Island Wildlife Refuge. Their goal is to diversify the species composition of the refuge from monotypic cottonwood to a 15 species-rich bottomland forest typical of the region to better serve wildlife for multiple generations. While the refuge is on the East side of the Mississippi (about 8 miles south of Chester, Illinois), knowing the importance of wetlands to our watersheds, our Stream Team has decided to partner with USFW and ask other volunteers to join the endeavor.

When: May 7, 8, 9, and 10

Time: Anytime starting from 9am for as long as people want to help. USFW will be there from 8:30am to late afternoon each day.

Where: Illinois Route 3 to Rockwood, Il; coordinates: 37.83666, -89.70338  Map: https://tinyurl.com/msprda73 This is an unimproved road. Drive under the railroad trestle and follow it back (approximately 200 yards) to the refuge parking lot.

What: Bareroot tree planting using dibble bars (stooping, bending, walking over irregular floodplain forest).

Need: Bring drinking water, snack if wanted, and a desire to restore our wetlands.

More information can be found here, including detailed directions and how to plant trees successfully using a Dribble Bar: https://tinyurl.com/mrxu9teh

Please be sure to notify one of the following if you, or a group, plan to attend and when:

Jared Nance, Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge:  Cell: 573-754-2431  /  Email: jared_nance@fws.gov

or  Jan McIlwee, Stream Team volunteer: Cell: 314-303-6419  / Email: janm@streamteam5168.org