Contact: Cassidy Walter
515-252-6249

JOHNSTON, IOWA – Today POET Biorefining Coon Rapids announced it is moving forward with the establishment of a Monarch Fueling Station at its plant near Coon Rapids.

The monarch habitat will span half an acre and seeding is expected to take place within the next month. The plant intends to involve local FFA and STEM students at every step of the process.

“This project is a great opportunity to give back to the environment and the community,” said Ryan Filloon, plant manager of POET Coon Rapids. “We are excited to work with the students on planting and maintaining the monarch habitat and to play our part in this state-wide effort to boost the population of these important pollinators.”

The location and size of the plot was decided in consultation with Kevin Reynolds, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association’s Habitat Establishment Coordinator.

“I fully expect the Monarch Fueling Stations that Iowa’s biofuels plants are creating to have a meaningful impact on increasing the population of the monarch butterfly,” Reynolds said. “Even one local project can make a difference and that is a great lesson for the students who will be involved.”

The Monarch Fueling Station Project was established by IRFA in partnership with the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium in December 2017. It is a program to help Iowa’s ethanol and biodiesel plants establish patches of monarch habitat on plant grounds. To learn more about the IRFA Monarch Fueling Station Project, contact IRFA at info@IowaRFA.org or 515-252-6249.

Members of POET Management, Coon Rapids/Bayard FFA, ACGC Schools, Iowa STEM, ISU University Extension Office and Whiterock Conservancy stand in middle of the field that will become POET Coon Rapids’ Monarch Fueling Station.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association represents the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry and works to foster its growth. Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production with 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing nearly 4.4 billion gallons annually – including approximately 55 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity – and 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce 400 million gallons annually. For more information, visit the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association website at: www.IowaRFA.org.

###