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[from Dallas Baxter]
Growing seed: Work to commercialize native seeds for use in West Texas is being advanced by TNS
The Big Bend Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas presents the Texas Native Seeds Program, a program on re-establishing native grasses and forbs for land and wildlife from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, January 19, in the APL room of the Alpine Public Library.
Presenter Colin Shackelford is an ecologist working with the Kleburg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M Kingsville.
The Texas Native Seeds Program was started in 2000 in South Texas to re-establish native grasses and forbs, restoring regional ecosystems that support native wildlife. Researchers seek to increase a diverse seed mix of native species to provide to seed companies for production.
The program’s mission seeks to prevent invasive species from expanding across the state where they could dominate disturbed sites. As well, native species can be used to mitigate the impacts of the oil and gas industry; to prevent erosion on roadsides, to reduce mowing costs and protect the biodiversity of surrounding private lands. This would mean increasing and improving wildlife habitat and reversing the decline of bobwhite quail and other wildlife.
The program seeks to enhance and sustain Texas’ lands for tomorrow and from its South Texas beginnings, now includes the entire state. Shackelford heads up the West Texas part of the project and is headquartered in Alpine at Sul Ross State University. So far, researchers have collected around 1,200 native plant species in West Texas.
Will private landowners be able to make use of this native seed for their own projects? What are the sources for the seed? How could this change the way Texas roadsides are used for wildlife habitat?
The program is free to NPSOT members; the public is welcome and asked to make a $5 donation which can be applied to a membership on the day of the meeting. Membership information is available at every meeting.
In addition, native flower and grass seed from Native American Seed will be available for purchase allowing participants to add plants that attract pollinators to their landscape for spring. Reservations are requested and may be made by contacting Fonda Ghiardi.
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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: billarmstrong
