During the 9th World Conference on Ecological Restoration, hosted by SER on June 21-24 2021, the Native seed community was represented by INSR, through a series of workshops, and by native seed networks from all over the world.
The workshop, organized by Stephanie Frischie, featured seven representatives of native seed networks from three continents who gave lighting round presentations to explain the rationale, activities, funding and future outlook for their respective networks. Several common themes are working with a variety of stakeholders, from indigenous, government, private companies, organizations, farmers, conservationists, botanists, seed banks to build an appropriate supply of seed for their region while minimizing the pressures that are put on wild populations. Certification is one topic that came up and these networks are working on making a space in the policies and laws in their jurisdictions so that native plants and seeds and the laws that govern them can be included. Often, existing laws have been created with agronomic, forage/fodder or forestry species and often these laws do not also match with what is desired or optimal for native species and ecological restoration. Some of these networks have been key partners in developing seed strategies for their particular region. Some of the networks are decades old and others are among the first to work in their particular regions, such as Cosmos in Mexico. We hope the examples presented, the lessons learned, and the connections made through this workshop will help strengthen. existing networks and provide useful templates for areas where new networks are being formed.
Presentations:
Southern Alberta Native Seed Collaborative
Robert Sissons, Parks Canada
There is a lack of suitable high quality, regionally adapted native seed to restore existing and planned industrial and infrastructure disturbances and restoration projects in southern Alberta. With a focus on grassland communities, our vision is to work together to improve the supply of reliable, high-quality, ecologically appropriate native seed for restoration projects in the region. Partners include Indigenous communities, non-government organizations, and municipal, provincial and federal land managers. These all operate under the umbrella of the Grasslands Restoration Forum – an organization that promotes the conservation and restoration of native grasslands in Alberta through education, outreach, and research to improve reclamation practice and foster stewardship.
XIngu Native Seed Network
Eduardo Malta Campos Filho
The Xingu Seed Network formed in 2007 and includes 30 organizations and 450 seed collector groups in 19 municipalities of the Xingu River watershed in the Brazilian Amazon. The Network is a partnership between indigenous communities, settler farmers, landowners, local governments, and NGOs and aims to meet the demand for native seeds for ecological restoration. The demand for native seeds is driven by requirements under Brazilian laws. The Xingu Seed Network supports a vision of compatible development and conservation through collective and participatory regional planning.
European Native Seed Producers Association (ENSPA)
Jojanneke Bijkerk, ENSPA President
The mission of ENSPA is to represent the interests of companies and other organisations producing seeds of native European plants for the re-establishment of healthy, resistant and resilient ecosystems and for landscaping, revegetation and rehabilitation projects. ENSPA aims to help to establish a favourable operating environment for its members, to establish common ethical and quality Standards, including the creation of a forum for discussion on non-competitive issues, and by providing information to assist the members in their business.
Nevada Native Seed Forum
Sarah Kulpa, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Reno, Nevada, USA
Inspired by the 2015 National Seed Strategy, which was developed to address widespread shortages of native seed, federal, state, tribal, non-profit, and university partners in Nevada began meeting and formed the Nevada Native Seed Partnership (NNSP). The mission of the NNSP is to keep Nevada lands diverse and functioning by using the right seed in the right place at the right time. In 2020, the NNSP finalized the Nevada Seed Strategy, a step-down from the National Seed Strategy, which aims to increase the availability and use of native seed for rehabilitation, reclamation, and restoration treatments in Nevada.
Scaling local seed resources with the Ontario Plant Restoration Alliance
Stefan Weber, Ontario Plant Restoration Alliance (OPRA), Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
The Ontario Plant Restoration Alliance (OPRA) works collaboratively with conservation leaders to develop regional seed strategies in southern Ontario, and is focused on establishing ex situ populations of uncommon natuve plants to serve as seed orchards for future restoration. We are proud members of the Ontario Biodiversity Council and work with many organizations such local land trusts and Conservation Authorities, as well as the Royal Botanical Garden, Carolinian Canada, World Wildlife Fund, and the Ontario Native Plant Growers. Association.OPRA also hosts public seed collection and cleaning workshops, and has engaged in some of the most recent market research on the native plant industry in Ontario.
Cosmos – Native seed supply for central Mexico
Héctor Avila Villegas, Cosmos: Native seeds, ecological restoration and pollinator conservation
In Mexico, seed-based ecological restoration is currently not a common practice. Likewise, native seed supply from national, regional or local sources is extremely limited. Motivated by an interest in creating habitat for pollinator conservation, I began collecting native seeds from wild local populations in the state of Aguascalientes in the central lowlands (el Bajío) region. In 2019, I formed Cosmos, to produce native seeds and create pilot habitat restoration projects. Our work also includes outreach and education to increase awareness about the cultural and ecological value and the diversity of native plants, seeds and pollinators in the region. As one of the first and only native seed producers in Mexico, I will share our current plans and opportunities for developing native seed supply and ways to integrate pollinator habitat into urban, agricultural and natural areas.
Ecotypes, Ecoregions + Ecological Restoration / Fortifying an Ecotypic Seed Production Network in the Northeastern US
Sefra Alexandra, Ecotype Project / CT NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association)
As stewards of the land we all understand the importance of protecting, conserving & restoring our natural ecosystems. The Ecotype Project of CT NOFA is aggregating seed producers to amplify the availability of ecotypic seed with the impetus to fortify the living seed banks of our shared ecological corridors. Join us and learn about our initiative to architect a "seed shed" for native plants material development in our ecoregion as a model for ecological restoration by putting the right plants in the right place.