Volunteer collecting native plant seed at Hidden Pond Preserve's restored prairie. Photo by Nate Fuller.
Bob Linderman with Bruce Howe, Land Protection Specialist with Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, at the closing.
Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is honored to be featured in The Land Trust Alliance’s nationally distributed magazine, Saving Land.

SWMLC’s native seed program – created and conducted by staff and volunteers – is highlighted in the article “Seeds of Change: Supporting Native Plant Communities” by Marina Schauffler, along with other land trusts across the country who also work with volunteers and community partners to support native plant habitat in their areas.

SWMLC’s seed collecting program regularly harvests native plant seed from productive preserves for sowing at other preserves that might need a boost in biodiversity. Led by volunteers Jeff Fleming, David Riggs, and Lynda Anderson – joined by a rock solid group of regulars – the group keeps detailed inventories, cleans and processes dozens of tubs of seed, and carefully stores the harvest. They also plant plenty of tiny, native plugs.

It’s inspiring to read about the cooperation and ingenuity that are part of other land trust’s native plant projects, and empowering to know that we work in concert with so many other people who care so deeply about the environment.

The Land Trust Alliance is national land conservation organization that represents more than 1,000 member land trusts and their 4.6 million supporters nationwide. They work to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America.

Click here to read the full article.