Last fall, volunteers collected thousands of native seeds in the Virginia Pinelands landscape, including little bluestem, Lespedeza capitata, and longleaf pine. We now need help sowing those seeds in trays of soil for germination which will later be planted as part of a groundcover restoration project. We’re in need of 10 volunteers who can stand for extended periods and make sure there is one (and only one) seed in each tray cell.
The facility building is not temperature controlled, so be prepared for all weather conditions: cold, heat, dust and humidity. Wear appropriate clothing as you would outdoors. Ideally, we need help the full workday, so please feel free to sign up for both shifts on a given day if you are available. This opportunity is only available for volunteers age 18 and over.
Process
- Volunteers will be planting ungerminated longleaf and shortleaf pine seed—making sure there is only one seed per tray cell. Longleaf seed is not uniform and sometimes the machine puts down no seed, double or triple seed in one cell. Volunteers will take out doubles or triples and drop a single seed.
- Volunteers will also be planting ungerminated warm season grass and forb seeds by hand-spreading the seeds. A soil topper machine will cover the seeds lightly with soil after sowing.
The Nature Conservancy is working with partners and the community to restore longleaf pine savanna habitat—one of the most biologically diverse systems in North America, our founding forest, and home of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Species like little bluestem and Lespedeza capitata are important forage for ground-nesting birds like Northern Bobwhite Quail and are important sources of food for a variety of pollinator species.
If you have any questions, please contact Andi Clinton at andi.clinton@tnc.org or 813-507-1898.
