Park Service looking for volunteeer to help collect native plant seeds

PARK SERVICE IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP COLLECT NATIVE PLANT SEEDS
Date: February 25, 2010
Contact: Andrew Munoz, 702-293-8691
Contact: Sandee Dingman, 702-298-1070

LAUGHLIN, Nev. – The National Park Service is looking for community and youth organizations to help park service biologists collect native plant seeds in the Laughlin and Bullhead City areas. Collection will take place from March through May.

The collected seeds will eventually be used to augment the landscaping of the Laughlin Regional Heritage Greenway Trail south of Davis Dam along the west bank of the Colorado River. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring on a multi-use trail and day use area being built in partnership by the National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and Clark County. Some landscaping will be installed as part of the construction project, but there will be additional disturbed lands that need to be re-vegetated with native desert plants.

This is a rare opportunity since as a national park area, park visitors aren’t allowed to harvest seeds or other plant materials on their own in Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

This is a multi-phase effort. This spring is focused on collecting seeds, in the fall volunteers will take the collected seed and mix it with soil to make "mud balls" that makes it easier to disperse seed. When construction is finished in 2011, volunteers will be needed to help park staff disperse the seed and mud balls along the new Laughlin Regional Heritage Greenway Trail.

Groups will be signed up officially as Volunteers-in-Parks. Park staff will work with interested organizations to set a date and location to collect native plant seeds. A short, age-appropriate education program related to desert plants and habitats can also be provided in conjunction with the seed collecting.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area biologist and Laughlin resident, Sandee Dingman, will coordinate the seed collection efforts. If interested, the group leader should contact Sandee at 702-298-1070.