DOVER (WJER) - The founder of a local nonprofit dedicated to pollinators protection is inviting the community to come out this weekend for an event celebrating those creatures in their natural environment.

SWARM's Rome Marinelli says they have a Pollinator-Palooza event going on this Saturday from noon to 3 at the Norma Johnson Center. Marinelli says they have all sorts of family-friendly activities planned all centered around the creatures that pollinate our farm fields and flowers.   

"We have a butterfly tent. We had that last year, we’re going to have it again this year. We’re gonna have an outdoor art gallery, all local artists. We’ll have a native plant sale where each plant is only $3 so if you want to provide for pollinators, this is the best and most efficient way to get be able to get a couple of native plants that are hard to come by," he says. 

Marinelli says they’ll also have live music from The Kodachrome Babies and a meditation session at noon, and Bahler Street Pizza will there with a special pollinator-themed pie. He says this will all be going on at the Norma Johnson Center. 

"The Norma Johnson Center has two entrances. One is like a yellow pole barn. The other one is like a red barn where the restrooms are. If anyone is familiar, it’s going to be where the red barn is. Go down that long drive on Conservation Drive off Old Route 39," he says.

Marinelli says around 200 people stopped out when the Tuscarawas County Public Library System hosted last year’s Pollinator-Palooza. He says they’re hoping for an even bigger turnout the second time around.  

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