Looking for a meaningful way to get your hands dirty, support pollinators, and build something that lasts? Come volunteer at Marine Corps Base Quantico during this year’s National Public Lands Day (NPLD) and beyond! You’ll help transform ordinary spaces into thriving habitats for monarch butterflies and other wildlife, and contribute to the start of a vital and educational eco-restoration project. Register by emailing Alex Antram, Quantico Conservation Volunteer Manager, at aantram@vt.edu. 

Habitat Installation — September 27, 2025 — Join us for one or both sessions
Be part of something big! We’re installing two new 1,200 ft² pollinator meadows:

1. Mainside Pollinator Garden (Expansion), 9am-12pm
   Near family housing and in collaboration with the Quantico Spouses’ Garden Club, this site is part of a long-term vision to convert 2–3 acres of invasive-dominated hillside into vibrant, native habitat for butterflies, bees, and more.
2. Westside Meadow Plot, 1-4pm
   Right next to Quantico’s Natural Resources offices and game check station, this highly visible site will replace a monoculture lawn with a beautiful native wildscape, fully accessible to the public!

At both locations, volunteers will: 
Clear brush
Till the soil
Plant native milkweed (Common and Butterfly Weed)
Add a colorful mix of supporting wildflowers

Seeds will come from both purchased stock and on-base collections from last year’s NPLD.

Infrastructure Support — September 27, 2025, 9am-12pm
We’re building more than just gardens—we’re building community infrastructure. Volunteers will help construct a tool storage shed with a built-in rainwater catchment system at the Mainside Pollinator Garden. Right now, there’s no water access or on-site storage, adding over 30 minutes of transport time to every volunteer session. Your help here will:

Reduce future volunteer workload
Model water conservation 
Ensure the garden thrives long-term

Seed Collection & Propagation — Fall 2025 through Spring 2026

Want to keep the momentum going? After NPLD, volunteers will collect milkweed seeds from 12 known wild patches across MCB Quantico (September 28–October 4). Then in March 2026, we’ll stratify and start growing them indoors for spring planting.

This hands-on work ensures future plantings succeed—and that we don’t have to rely solely on purchased seed. It’s a huge step toward sustainability and ecological resilience.

Whether you’re planting flowers, swinging a hammer, or collecting seeds—there’s a role for everyone. Come make a lasting difference for pollinators, the environment, and the Quantico community!