National Public Lands Day occurs in early fall each year and is at the height of seed collecting season at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. This year 120 volunteers and 3 staff members headed into the prairie to collect Purple Cone Flower seeds.

The volunteers, primarily school age kids from Girls and Boys Town and local area Cub and Boy Scouts got to experience nature at its finest. Along with the opportunity for these kids to learn about the prairie they got see wildlife including deer, pheasants, ducks, geese and other wildlife during their experience. The seed gathered is used for converting crop land to prairie and reseeding of existing prairies.