The first annual seed harvest at the Lincoln County Pollinator Gardens was a resounding success. At the harvesting workshops, funded by a grant from the SARE program, over 160 community members, students, and educators participated throughout the month of October. Students from St. Francis and the Prairie River Middle School attended to help harvest seeds and to learn about the importance of pollinators and their habitat. Elizabeth Peronto, Program Assistant, stated, “Some of these students were a part of the original planting of the Lincoln County Pollinator Garden. To have them return to help in harvesting was a full-circle experience that was truly unique.”
The goal of this year’s harvest was to provide enough seed to the community to create at least 10,000 square feet of new native prairie. Thomas Boisvert, Lincoln County Conservation Program Manager, said, “Now that the harvesting has concluded, we believe that we will have enough seed to not only meet our goal, but exceed it by at least 50%.”
Once all of the harvested seeds are processed throughout the winter months, the Pollinator Project will be offering seed sachets to the community along with detailed instructions on how to establish their own native prairie planting. The Pollinator Project hopes that, by providing these items at no cost to the community, new pollinator gardens are established throughout the area in the coming years.