There was a small and motivated volunteer group turn out for seed collection on September 24th. With the sun still warm and bright in the sky, the group headed into the Walnut Prairie with buckets and bags in hand in search of native prairie plants with seed ready for collecting. The group spent some time together, identifying the different species seen, and working together to collect until everyone felt comfortable spotting and collecting on their own. Conversation ebbed and flowed between the task at hand and a common love for running at the park. Time slowed, the sun disappeared below the mound, and the sounds of the birds and insects that inhabit the prairie became the soundtrack to the evening.
At 7 PM the group gathered and combined the seed that everyone had collected. The seed, a treasure of Bergamont (Monarda), Black Eyed-Susan (Rudbeckia), Anemone, Golden Alexander (Ziza), Blue Lobelia, Gray Headed Coneflower (Ratibida), Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum), Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias), grasses, and sedges will be dried and stored for the winter. The seeds will be distributed in the spring with hopes that they will be enjoyed by those who visit the prairie in the spring.
There will be lots of other species ready for harvest by mid-October and the hope is to organize another work party to collect seeds at that time. Contact [email protected] to be notified of future prairie volunteer opportunities.
