Little Forests Kingston

Last weekend was a busy one at HWY 15 (check out this great video made by Monica) to prepare the land for fall planting of the Little Forest.

Meeting June 19 CANCELLED

Instead, come out to the land to help prepare the forest floor at HWY 15 in the morning or Wolfe Island in the afternoon.

Little Forests happenings

Preparing the land at hwy 15: Maureen says “Tomorrow (Saturday June 19) last finishing touches on the forest floor - prayers, asemma, and putting down a beautiful deer mushroom - gifted from Belle island forest. We put that down to begin to build the soil of all our relations.”

Preparing the land Wolfe Island: Astrid is organizing a crew to prepare the land at the Wolfe Island site on Saturday June 19 2-4pm (with an opening gathering at 1:30) and if needed Monday June 21 7-9pm. Email Astrid at [email protected] if you’re able to help.

Preparing the land Lakeside: Join us at Lakeside Saturday June 26 from 8:30 on to put the finishing touches on the forest floor, layering on the compost donated by Tomlinson’s. Email [email protected] if you’re able to help.

Flat Rock Plant Rescue is doing a pop-up tomato and vegetable plant sale, in partnership with Loving Spoonful and KILN, to benefit Indigenous Food Sovereignty Garden and Children’s On The Land programming. Online presales before. Pickup and in person sales Monday 4-6pm, 1467 HWY 15To purchase plants in advance send a PM Flat Rock Plant Rescue. EMT payment accepted. Donations also welcome. Album with plants for sale. Facebook event - please share and mark ‘going ‘ which will make the algorithm put in more people’s newsfeeds. https://m.facebook.com/events/3002925353260790

Do we need a seed strategy?

When our meeting resume on July 3 (though that’s the long weekend!!! maybe we’ll need to postpone that meeting as well), we’ll be talking wild seed strategy. Here are a few links to get us thinking.

Restoring biodiversity and ecological connections Biodiversity Summit starting June 24: I’ll be going! Topics on June 24 include “Regenerative seed strategies” and “Restoration in action” (one of the panelists is Terrylynn Brant, Haudenosaunee Food Forest). June 25’s theme is “Enhancing protection and resilience: Indigenous ways of knowing.”

Ontario Plant Restoration Alliance seed strategy project. “A seed conservation strategy refers to the collaborative action required to protect, restore, and enhance native plants through informed, local seed collection.” Mission of Norfolk’s Seed Strategy: “Protect and increase native seed sources, Conserve, and enhance local native plants, Engage people in plant restoration, Accelerate habitat creation, Promote investment in biodiversity, Support a growing native plant industry.”

Plants need to be able to adapt, and the only way to do that is to exchange genes with neighbouring populations and migrate to new ground.” Stefan Weber (an organizer of the Biodiversity Summit, says “I learned that there was really nobody in the province figuring out the restoration of common or somewhat regionally rare native plants, only for super-rare federally or provincially protected ones... If you look to the United States or countries in Europe, they have really thoroughly developed plant restoration strategies and they have networks of growers and maps of where plants should go and they can be migrated to.” He spearheaded the Hamilton Seed Strategy. The Hamilton Conservation Authority endorsed the strategy and are providing two 40-square metre garden plots, staff advice on priority species, and access to authority land for seed collection.

Wild Seed Project is an interesting Maine non-profit who’s mission is “to inspire people to take action and join us in increasing the presence of native plants grown from wild seed… When you plant a native seed, it grows into a tree or shrub or wildflower that provides habitat for all the other creatures up and down the food chain, from pollinating insects, to birds, amphibians, mammals, and invisible creatures of the soil. We aspire to restore native species to our landscapes so they can send their descendants into the future and become part of the new landscapes to come. Our hope is that our work will engage you – a resident or visitor, a scientist, an artist, a student, a backyard gardener or farmer, a neighborhood activist or city official – and help you both see the beauty and critical role of native plants, and take action to restore them.”