Volunteers Making a Difference for the HNF native plant program.

By Deb Le Blanc on Nov 11, 2010

Volunteers making a difference in the HNF native plant program. In 2010 194 volunteers donated their time between the Forest greenhouse operations, restoration planting and harvesting seed.

Volunteers Making a Difference with Native Plants.

Hiawatha National Forest greenhouse and native plant program volunteers participated not only in greenhouse operations but also in a number of restoration plantings, seeding and harvesting of native seed during FY10. During FY10 we had 194 volunteers contributing approximately 5,188 hours for a donation value of $108,069.

At the Forest Greenhouse we had 86 volunteers who helped with all aspects of raising the 65,500 native plants we propagated in 2010 to clearing the area for the new Solex greenhouse. Many of these volunteers contributed multiple days in the seeding of cells to all the watering and general care needed for the plants prior to their out-planting. AmeriCorps volunteers donated an entire day removing native vegetation from the area selected for expanding our greenhouse operations by adding a new solex greenhouse. The rescued live transplants were carefully removed and bagged for use in restoring part of Sandtown. Long time greenhouse volunteers, Robert Neely, Ray Bush, Bob Kahl, Bev Braden and Linda Rehorst donated 4096 hours in 2010. Robert Neely in particular has donated nearly 850 of those hours. In 2010 he has built all our seed drying and storage racks, multiple cedar shelves for increasing our growing space in our main greenhouse, designed improvements to utilize our shade house into a temp greenhouse in order to meet the native plug need for ARRA projects and has taken the lead with our composting operations for improving our soil mixtures we use. This includes collecting coffee grounds from all the coffee houses in Marquette by using his solar powerd mountain bike.

Once plants are ready for their new homes volunteers again stepped up to the tasks and helped us with restoration planting across the West Unit of the Forest. Restoration planting began at Grand Island NRA old farm field project. In July and August more than 100 volunteers from Michigan State University Extension-Life of Lake Superior, Grand Island Association, HNF native plant program and AmeriCorps transplanted 16,300 wildflower plugs into the east side of the old farm field. Also at the farm field restoration site, LOLS youth built six butterfly houses in order to help provide shelter to the more than 500 larvae we found during mid-summer. This marked the third year for LOLS youth participating in the farm field restoration project and in that short period of time they have helped with the transformation of nearly 1 acre back to native plants and providing pollinator habitat. At Sandtown restoration (a historic Native American village), a dozen volunteers helped with transplanting 2,000 native wildflowers and nearly a thousand live transplants into areas being impacted by illegal OHV use. This was the first year of a three year restoration plan to re-introduce native plants back into the landscape being impacted by OHV. At Rapid River RD pollinator garden, YCC helped plant 1,500 wildflower plugs in order to expand the pollinator-interpretive garden. This project is on-going as we increase needed pollinator habitat and at the same time provide an interpretive site so Forest visitors can learn more about our pollinator species and their habitat needs. Volunteers helped transplant 3,000 native plants into Pine Plains a prairie restoration site on the Stonington Peninsula. This is another on-going project where we are bringing back the native warm season grasses in an order to increase wildlife habitat.

HNF native plant program volunteers participated in a number of planned seed harvesting events in FY10. Their contributions contributed to the more than 250 pounds of native seed harvested this year. For the first time we were able to meet all our Forest needs for native seed use in fire line restoration, ARRA projects, wildlife opening enhancement, seeding closed sale roads, restoring log landings and restoration projects such as Sandtown, Pine Plains, Monarch Openings.

Recently on Saturday, October 23rd , the Hiawatha National Forest Greenhouse, located in Marquette, Michigan celebrated "Make a Difference Day" by hosting twelve volunteers from Northern Michigan University Crew Team. The team of students spent the better part of their day helping with fall clean up of the grounds by raking all leaves and bagging them; mulching plant material for future use; general clean up of the outside gardens and applying nearly 4 yards of crushed gravel to the floor of the main greenhouse and our new Solex addition. Kelly Mitchell, our current NMU plant program Intern, helped organize and supervise this work day event.

Robert Neely along with all our volunteers are the heart beat of the HNF native plant program. They are outstanding, dedicated people who exemplify the spirit of volunteerism by making a difference every day they volunteer.