Check out the species in our pipeline!
No one gardens better than Mother Nature. Her designs are exquisite, and the connections between plants, insects, and animals that she has forged result from countless generations of evolution. The consequence of this process is biodiversity, as measured not only in species richness, but also in genetic richness. Uli Lorimer
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ReSeeding RI: Replenishing Rhode Island’s Native Plants
Recording of online presentation by Dave Vissoe, vice president of RIWPS and URI Master Garden, offered by University of Rhode Island Continuing Education – URI Cooperative Extension, February 25, 2024
Why ReSeeding Rhode Island?
As native plant enthusiasts, we have long been aware of how important native plants are to creating ecologically biodiverse habitats, ones that will support the local bugs, bees, and butterflies, the beasts and birds that depend on them — even the microbes and fungi dwelling in the soil.
Not all plants labeled “native,” however, contribute equally to this rich and intricate web of interdependent relationships that are a function of the coevolution of our local flora and fauna. Ecotypic plants are uniquely suited to the biotic and abiotic environments of a particular region. These ecotypic plants, however, are not readily available in the current supply chain.
Goals
New England Ecoregions,(photo Native Plant Trust Garden Finder). The Environmental Protection Agency has mapped 105 ecoregions on the continental US, designating areas that share largely similar environmental conditions and plant genetics. Most of Rhode Island belongs in Northeast Coast Zone (Ecoregion 59).
The Seeds of ReSeeding Rhode Island
Our ambitious, multi-year initiative builds on work started in 2010 by botanist Hope Leeson on the Rhody Native Initiative of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey. We have also drawn heavily from the model of The Ecotype Project for Pollinator Health, set up in 2019 by The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (CTNOFA) — now the Ecotype Project.
Our Journey
During the 2022 growing season, Botanist Shannon Kingsley collected seeds from a number of wild plant populations in an ethical and sustainable manner. These were cleaned and “winter sowed.” Throughout the 2023 growing season the plugs grew strong, thanks to the nurturing of our horticulturist, Barbara Shaughnessy. Last fall, plugs of 15 species were planted in “foundation plots” on the lands of our partner organic famers and land trusts. The seeds from plants in these plots will be harvested each year, serving as the source with which to “ReSeed” Rhode Island.
We have also started our second cycle. In 2023 we collected seeds from wild plant populations. Now cleaned and “winter sowed”, they will continue their journey as plugs in foundation plots in 2024.
Additional resources • The beginnings of the initiative, Reseeding RI, WildfloraRI, Spring 2022 • The value of ecotypic seeds, The Hype about Ecotype, WildforaRI, Winter 2023• Collecting seeds in the field, Our Botanist in the Field, WildfloraRI, Winter 2022