Audubon Partners to Reseed Rhode Island

By Dr. Scott Ruhren, Senior Director of Conservation

As more people look to grow native species in their gardens and landscapes, these plants can be challenging to find. Working with partners across the state, Audubon has joined an effort to increase the abundance of native species by planting locally sourced native seeds in our wildlife refuges. Partnering with the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (RIWPS) “foundation plots” have been established on Audubon property as part of the Reseeding Rhode Island project. These plots have also been established in other areas across the state through a broad collaboration of conservationists, land trusts and gardeners.

Plants are started from seeds collected in Rhode Island by RIWPS. (Many seeds have been collected in Audubon refuges.) Then, Audubon will grow the seedlings for a year or until they are ready to transplant in other refuges, habitat restoration projects, or pollinator gardens.

This year at Audubon’s Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge, four plots were established. The plan is to plant 200 individuals of four species, one species per plot, if supplies are adequate. This year's species are Red Columbine, Wild Geranium, Flaxleaved Aster, and Blue-stemmed Goldenrod.

Audubon staff began preparing in May by tilling rectangular plots, each about 250 square feet. The soil was covered to prevent weed growth. Finally, in late summer when the seedlings arrive, the completed plots, like miniature open-air nurseries, will be watered, weeded and fenced to protect the tender plants from hungry deer, rabbits and woodchucks.

Hopefully in a year Audubon will have hundreds of healthy native plants ready to move and share with RIWPS and other partners. Propagation of locally collected native plants is an important step in habitat restoration. Furthermore, these efforts protect native plant and animal interactions that could ultimately reduce regional population declines of birds and pollinators.

Images (top to bottom):

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)Blue-stemmed Goldenrod (Ionactis linariifolia)Flax-leaved Aster (Solidago caesia)