Second Saturday: Pollinators with Laurie Sheppard

Hagerman NWR Second Saturday: Pollinators with Laurie Sheppard

Pollination is the essential transfer of pollen from one flower part to another, enabling the survival of the plant species and its ability to reproduce, create seeds, and produce fruit. Pollinators of many types are critical for maintaining global ecosystems and food security. They are instrumental in the reproduction of 75% of flowering plants and 35% of food crops. Protecting pollinators is crucial for maintaining the diversity, beauty, and abundance of our food supply and natural landscapes. Laurie will describe the different types of pollination and many of the pollinators you may see on the refuge.

Laurie Sheppard is a certified Texas Master Naturalist with a primary interest in butterflies. She has tracked, photographed, and documented 95 butterfly species at Hagerman NWR of the 98 species of butterflies recorded in Grayson County. She leads a group of volunteers who provide Monarch migration data to Journey North each year and she was responsible for locating and reporting on several sub-populations of “at risk” Frosted Elfin butterflies at Hagerman.

Laurie is a long-time volunteer at Hagerman NWR, currently serving as a Butterfly Garden Docent, a Tram Driver, a Nature Nook staffer, a writer/editor for the Featherless Flyer, and a member of the Friends of Hagerman Board of Directors. She is an avid photographer and regularly shares her images of butterflies, birds, and other wildlife on social media and in the Friends of Hagerman’s public outreach materials.

Photo Credit – American Lady by Laurie Sheppard