Community Corner
Wayland-Based Native Plant Trust Launches Regional Seed Initiative
A local conservation organization is expanding its work to meet the growing need for native seeds for ecological restoration projects.
WAYLAND, MA — A Wayland-based conservation organization is expanding its work to meet a growing need for native seeds used in ecological restoration projects.
Native Plant Trust has launched the Restoration Accelerator, a regional initiative designed to increase the production, processing and storage of locally adapted native seed for restoration, conservation and horticultural use across the Northeast.
The program is based at Nasami Farm, Native Plant Trust’s nursery in Whately. It offers contract services including wild seed collection, nursery production, seed processing and climate-controlled storage, according to the organization.
“Restoring ecosystems at scale begins with seed,” Native Plant Trust CEO Tim Johnson said in a statement. “By investing in the infrastructure, partnerships and scientific expertise needed to expand native seed production, we are helping ensure that future generations inherit landscapes that are healthier, more diverse and more resilient than those we see today.”
Expanding The Regional Seed Supply
Native Plant Trust said demand for native plants and seeds has increased as government agencies, conservation groups, growers and property owners undertake projects aimed at restoring habitats and making landscapes more resilient to climate change.
The initiative will focus in part on ecotypic seed, which comes from plant populations that have adapted to local soils, climates and ecological conditions. Locally adapted plants may be better equipped to withstand changing weather patterns, pests, diseases and other environmental pressures, according to the organization.
Native Plant Trust has established seed-increase plots at Nasami Farm for species including path rush, boneset thoroughwort, swamp milkweed, blue vervain and coastal Joe Pye weed. The plots were supported by funding from Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.
The organization is also working with Van Berkum Nursery in Deerfield, New Hampshire, where a new seed-increase farm planted nearly 60 species during its first year.
Native Plant Trust plans to develop a wider network of growers, nurseries, conservation partners and restoration practitioners to forecast demand and expand the regional seed supply.
“Native seed is the foundation of ecological restoration,” said Johnson. “We are seeing growing demand from public agencies, conservation organizations, landscape professionals, and homeowners who want to restore habitats and build more resilient landscapes."
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