Monroe, LA — The public is invited to join U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service interns and American Conservation Experience (ACE) volunteers Camryn McClelland and Karen Ibarra for a hands‑on Pollinator BioBlitz this Saturday at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge Conservation Learning Center.
From 9:00–11:00 AM, participants will help survey and identify as many pollinator species as possible—including butterflies, bees, wasps, beetles, and even ants. McClelland and Ibarra have spent their ACE internships studying pollinators on the refuge, and they are now opening their research to the community through this citizen‑science event.
During the BioBlitz, the interns will share insights from their fieldwork and help visitors learn how to spot and identify local pollinators. Community members can contribute directly to the project by submitting their observations through the iNaturalist app or the iNaturalist.org website; all submissions made within the refuge during the event will automatically be added to the project. Members of the Friends of Black Bayou and Louisiana Master Naturalists Northeastwill support the event.
Pollinators play a vital role in both ecological health and the national economy—and many of them are strikingly beautiful. This event offers a fun and educational way for families, nature enthusiasts, and photographers to explore the refuge while supporting conservation science.
For more information, visit the official event page: https://www.fws.gov/event/pollinator-bioblitz-0