Creating Plant Communities that Nourish Wildlife
Green Links enhancements revolve primarily around the restoration of habitats
in certain urban landscapes to provide food, water, shelter and nesting
opportunities for wildlife. At the heart of these enhancements is the
re-establishment of native plant communities in areas where vegetation
has been disturbed by human activity.
Green Links enhancements for one year require approximately 10,000 plants
which are used in creating self-sustaining native plant communities around
themes such as: butterfly and hummingbird gardens; grass, wildflower and
wet meadow habitats; low-lying trees and shrubs; and edible and fruit-bearing
plants.
The Challenge of Obtaining Plant Stock
One of the largest challenges to the Green Links enhancements has been
obtaining sufficient plant stock for its planting programs. Native plants
are very costly, and due to a very limited budget and the need to produce
a sense of community stewardship, the Institute of Urban Ecology has developed
alternative methods of providing plant stock to the Green Links project
and to other community based environmental projects. The two most apparent
solutions are to salvage plants from local development sites, and to propagate
them from seeds and cuttings.
Colony Farm
The Institute of Urban Ecology has a native plant nursery and storage
facility in the community gardens area of Colony Farm Regional Park. This
site has been developed to store any salvaged plants, and plants that
are propagated in schools before they are planted in the ground. The facility
contains a number of pens, lined with plastic and filled with bark mulch,
which are ideal for storing both salvaged plants and propagated plants.
Benefits to Education
A locally-based, applied curriculum is an important component of environmental
education as it helps demonstrate the relevance of course material to
students. Students may study plant and animal biology without ever having
learned to identify plant and animals native to the area in which they
live. They may be taught about threats to the ecosystems of the Amazon
without learning how they can help preserve the rainforest in their own
back yard. Incorporating field and hands on training to a curriculum will
enable students to experience and connect with the environment of which
they are a part, while gaining marketable skills and training.
The Native Plant Propagation Program
The Institute of Urban Ecology has established a partnership with senior
secondary schools to develop a program in which students participate in
the propagation of native plants from seeds or cuttings. These plants
will then be used to restore wildlife habitat in local green spaces.
Program Description
The Institute of Urban Ecology will provide schools with the appropriate
materials and supplies needed to develop a plant propagation program within
the school. We will also conduct an in-class presentation for students
discussing the importance of native plants and biodiversity in the local
ecosystem. The students will then care for the plants until they are ready
to be moved to the Institute nursery.
If you are interested in participating in the Native Plant Propagation
Program , or you would like more information about the program, please
contact us.
