Most rainy days, I avoid digging in the dirt, especially when there is rain and hail coming down in alternating patterns of drudgery. Yet that's just what I got myself into to take part in King County's Native Plant Salvage Program, which helps rescue native plants from planned construction sites.
Despite unfavorable weather, this was a wonderful opportunity to meet others who care about habitat enhancement. It was also a fantastic way to learn more about plants native to our area. The first half of the day was dedicated to digging up native flora from a site in Maple Valley. I missed that, but made it for several hours of re-potting the salvaged plants so they can be maintained at a holding facility until they're used at restoration sites.
The 18-year-old project relies on volunteers who between October and March help remove thousands of plants, including Douglas fir, vine maple, salmonberry, trailing blackberry, salal and mohonia. Salvaged vegetation is used on salmon habitat restoration projects throughout the county.
An added bonus to this program is that volunteers are allowed to take some plants for all their hard work. One plant for every half hour of helping. You can't beat saving native plants AND going home with a carload of these wonderful goodies. I snagged several ferns, a baldhip rose, a dogwood and an Indian plum. My woodland garden will be well on its way!
And at the end of the day, Mother Nature was smiling on the day's work and broke out with a bit of sunshine for the ride home. It was a good day to dig in the dirt.
25 comments:
Yesterday didn't work for me because I was busy unpotting my own native plants and trying to get them in the ground. But I'm definitely going to try to participate in the next event.
That was a nice thing you did. And they gave you plants. You deserve those plants. I bet it was a day worth all your time spent.
What a great thing to do. I always hate to see bulldozers murdering flora that has every right to be there. The area you were working is beautiful, despite the inclement weather. I'm sure you slept peacefully last night.
What a great idea. I had no idea that mahonia came from where you are.
What a rewarding thing to be involved in--in more ways than one! :) I hope we'll be hearing/seeing more of the "nootka rose". I'm not familiar with it, and it's such an intriguing name. The Indian plum sounds interesting too. Hope you get to stay dry and non-muddy for a while now...
Hey, good for you! I'd love to do this sometime too. Great volunteer project, with bennies. :) Never seen a nootka rose, that I know of anyway. Awesome!
This is a great project!
There is a plot of land about five miles from me that is a Managed Nature Perserve. Yet, they are cutting down the pines and trucking them out. I am assumeing since it is a "managed" area it will be replanted.
Jake
I'm so glad you went and showed how it was. I can't wait to see how your new plants look, and you'll always remember how you earned them. I hope next time I can go.
How do you always find out about all these neat things?
What a wonderful project to be a part of. You got to get plants for your gardens too? What a bonus.
What a classical NW Gardening scene you have shown here! And the plants will carry on now in your garden (& elsewhere).
What a wonderful way to give back, Melanthia. Your son would so approve :) and you can't beat the free plants!
Lynn
That is a fantastic project.
Neat project! And I'm glad you got some plants out of it too.
That is a great thing to do, and you did get some plants out it.
That is a wonderful way to learn of native plants and earn a few too. Wonderful!
Oh how nice that there is an organization that does this. I have a co-worker who rides his bike to work and he is always telling me about a house that is being torn down along with some wonderful native plants. He of course tries to dig some up to save.
BRAVO! What a great program and that you could help! Your smile says it all. :-)
What a wonderful thing to do, such a great idea and you get to take some plants home with you.
K
Sounds like a great program! I've thought about something like that around here in TN. I don't think we have anything like that.
That is a great program. So many plants get bulldozed during construction. The same for old nurseries, or big residential gardens. Often times, the remaining family members are not interesting in gardening, and the bulldoze over all the hard work
This is such a great idea. I'll have to look for something like it around here.
Oh what a cool project! I wish they had that where I live. I've been eyeing a gigantic rainbow lantana that is about to be chopped down and paved over. If it wasn't at a busy intersection, I'd just go dig it up - but I don't want to be arrested for trespassing!
Wow, what a great program.
What a great project Melanthia and a good feeling to know you've saved some valuable plant life. It sounds very progressive to have an organization of volunteers to do this kind of thing. I know it doesn't happen in my area although it should.
Good for you Melanthia! Native Plant Liberation NOW!
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