35 pounds of lupine seed picked!
![June 2024 Sip and Seed Events - Photo by Amy Lord. Pollinators got a boost thanks to the collective efforts of 51 volunteers who donated 191 service hours to pick 35 pounds of native lupine seed. Photo by Amy Lord.](https://www.iceagetrail.org/wp-content/uploads/4-39.png)
Native plants like these, gracing your hikes along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, are not a stroke of luck, but point to the intentional efforts of Ice Age Trail Alliance staff and volunteers. Through its Habitat Improvement Program, the Alliance is actively increasing the presence of native plant species on Alliance-owned preserves. This diverse array of plants supports an entire food web, creating a robust and resilient ecosystem benefiting pollinator species like bumble bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds.
As a certified land trust, the Ice Age Trail Alliance utilizes fire, which benefits plant and wildlife communities and improves the hiker experience along the Trail. As a result, from March through mid-May, sections of the Ice Age Trail will be closed for prescribed burns, often for only a few hours.