Programs

  • Seed to Marsh Community Initiative

    SEED TO MARSH: A COMMUNITY EFFORT IN 2023, THE LITTLE RIVER WETLANDS PROJECT (LRWP) ORGANIZED A DIVERSE RANGE OF EVENTS, ENGAGING APPROXIMATELY 9,451 PARTICIPANTS ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS. AMONG THESE WERE 100 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOCUSED ON STEWARDSHIP, COMMUNITY SCIENCE, AND PROGRAM SUPPORT, RALLYING 991 VOLUNTEERS, MANY OF WHOM WERE REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE 200 EVENTS INCLUDING PUBLIC HIKES, YOUTH SEED TO MARSH PROGRAMS, AND LARGE COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVES, SUPPORTED BY VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING 13 TRAIL GUIDES WHO GENEROUSLY DONATED OVER 300 HOURS GUIDING SCHOOL GROUPS. THE SEED TO MARSH PROGRAM, A FLAGSHIP PROGRAM OF LRWP, AIMS TO EDUCATE PARTICIPANTS ON NATIVE PLANTS, RESTORATION, AND PROVIDE HANDS-ON INVOLVEMENT IN PRESERVATION EFFORTS. INTEGRATED INTO ALL YOUTH PROGRAMS AT EAGLE MARSH, THIS INITIATIVE INVOLVES ACTIVITIES SUCH AS INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, SEEDLING TRANSPLANTATION, AND SEED COLLECTION. COLLABORATIONS WITH SCHOOLS LIKE CANTERBURY HIGH SCHOOL, CONCORDIA LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL, MLK MONTESSORI, AND CARRIAGE HOUSE HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN GROWING NATIVE PLANTS FOR LRWP'S RESTORATION PROJECTS, COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION, AND SCHOOL PLANTINGS. THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND GROWING PARTNERS SIGNIFICANTLY SUPPORT LRWP'S STEWARDSHIP TEAM. IN 2023 ALONE, APPROXIMATELY 7000 WORTH OF NATIVE SEEDS WERE COLLECTED, REDUCING THE NEED FOR PURCHASING SEEDS AND PLANTS. THE PROGRAM'S EXPANSION MARKED MILESTONES INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF LRWP PRESERVE-SOURCED SEED MIXES, INCREASED PLANT AVAILABILITY FOR GIVEAWAYS AND PLANTINGS, AND PLANS TO MAP RARE PLANTS FOR FUTURE SEED COLLECTION. BESIDES RESTORING LRWP PROPERTIES WITH LOCALLY-SOURCED FLORA, THE PROGRAM ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO REDUCING HABITAT FRAGMENTATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. INVASIVE SPECIES POSE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO LRWP PRESERVES, DISRUPTING ECOLOGICAL BALANCE AND DIMINISHING BIODIVERSITY. INVASIVE SPECIES OFTEN FORM MONOCULTURES, FAILING TO SUPPORT ALL LIFE STAGES OF IMPORTANT NATIVE SPECIES. WITHOUT PROACTIVE REMOVAL EFFORTS, THE QUALITY OF WETLAND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE ECOSYSTEMS WOULD RAPIDLY DECLINE, JEOPARDIZING WILDLIFE POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITY INTEREST IN THE PRESERVES. ONGOING REMOVAL EFFORTS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIVE PLANTINGS REMAIN CRUCIAL FOR PRESERVING THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF THE LAND, SUPPORTING DIVERSE WILDLIFE POPULATIONS. LRWP'S RESTORATION EFFORTS, HEAVILY SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY, HAVE LED TO AN INCREDIBLE DISPLAY OF NATIVE WILDFLOWERS AND THE PRESENCE OF HUNDREDS OF ANIMAL SPECIES, ATTRACTING VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE STATE TO ENGAGE IN RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING ON OUR SITES.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $351.3K