NEWS RELEASE
U.S. FOREST SERVICE
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GLADSTONE — On Sept. 28, tens of thousands of volunteers across the country will celebrate the 30th annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD) by joining trail maintenance and planting projects, trash pick-ups, and other activities aimed at restoring and caring for public lands. Organized each year by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands.
The Hiawatha National Forest is excited to participate in NPLD again this year and invites volunteers to participate in a native seed collection project on the Rapid River Ranger District. Participants will collect seeds of native plants that will then be used for forest restoration efforts.
Ted Roper, Botanist for the Hiawatha’s West Zone, shared his thoughts about the importance of this work. “When you help our native seed collection efforts,” he said, “you are promoting and enhancing pollinator habitat and ecosystem health across the Hiawatha National Forest and the central U.P."
Event Details
- Who: Individuals, families, and community groups are encouraged to attend.
- What: Participants will gather native plant seeds from six different native plants. To collect the seeds, participants will clip the stem, strip the seeds off the stem with a brush, or pick the seeds off the plant.
- When: Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.mm* - noon
- Where: Meet at the Rapid River Ranger District at 9 a.m. (8181 US Highway 2, Rapid River). We will caravan out to the project site (Bay De Noc-Grand Island South Trailhead), which is approximately 5 minutes from the office.
All seed collection supplies will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their favorite gardening gloves as well as water to keep hydrated. Pre-registration is requested by calling the Rapid River Ranger District at (906) 474-6442 or emailing Ted Roper at [email protected]. Volunteers must fill out a Volunteer Agreement upon arrival on the morning of the event.
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