tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681699322924397971.post1579557463477707983..comments2024-03-05T02:58:04.116-06:00Comments on The Bee Pasture: The Ethics of Seed CollectionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681699322924397971.post-69748707814011606822014-11-05T11:03:19.472-06:002014-11-05T11:03:19.472-06:00Always a pleasure to hear from you Karen. :) Than...Always a pleasure to hear from you Karen. :) Thank you for educating your volunteers. AWShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04993697226060091577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681699322924397971.post-42393776144203326882014-11-05T11:02:36.103-06:002014-11-05T11:02:36.103-06:00Unfortunately, not everyone is as careful a stewar...Unfortunately, not everyone is as careful a steward as you are. I agree that seed collection is far less harmful than removing entire plants or rhizomes from a natural area. Thank you for growing natives!AWShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04993697226060091577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681699322924397971.post-23042808436519674182014-10-27T10:12:27.153-05:002014-10-27T10:12:27.153-05:00Hey Ann
I have been harvesting seeds to be used in...Hey Ann<br />I have been harvesting seeds to be used in prairie restoration for many years and when I take volunteers out to do seed harvest I teach the same ethics you have mentioned here and I have always wondered about the rate of collections and their impact on the colonies. Since I am not the only one harvesting these areas I've witnessed whole communities of plants disappear.<br />I also have a native prairie garden at home and have had the same experience as James has with huge amounts of seed being produced. I share with others who have an interest in native plants but I end up returning most of them to the source or placing them in suitable places in an effort to start new colony's.<br />I am considering starting a native seed exchange network but considering the fact that a lot of people don't understand that nursery plants are not the same as natives I am not quite sure how keep the strains clear of hybrids.<br />I tend to be a purest and would probably have unrealistic standards too pull it off.<br />Love your blog.<br /><br />Karen HamburgerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2681699322924397971.post-78511484891079002742014-10-24T21:51:26.174-05:002014-10-24T21:51:26.174-05:00My experiences with restoration have been much dif...My experiences with restoration have been much different than the experiences you discuss with poaching. After I collect a small amount of seed, grow plants, and put them in my garden I typically end up with many times the amount of seed being produced each year than was taken from the donor site. Sometimes the amount of seed produced annually is a hundred or a thousand times more than the amount that was initially collected. I am then able to return ample seed to the donor site if the population needs help. I am also able to establish new populations in local restorations with favorable habitat. Honestly, my garden plants produce so much seed that I never even get it all harvested. It is amazing how much more seed plants will produce when competition, predation, and water limitations are eliminated. James McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312887957290703noreply@blogger.com