Native Plant Trust Inc

CONSERVE & PROMOTE NEW ENGLAND'S NATIVE PLANTS TO ENSURE HEALTHY, BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE LANDSCAPES.

CONSERVATION - PUBLISHED "CONSERVING PLANT DIVERSITY IN NEW ENGLAND," A COLLABORATION WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY. THE REPORT PROVIDES A ROAD MAP FOR LAND CONSERVATION TO PRESERVE THE REGION'S PLANT DIVERSITY, AND THUS OVERALL BIODIVERSITY, AS THE CLIMATE CHANGES. THE REPORT ALSO IDENTIFIES 234 IMPORTANT PLANT AREAS WITH CONCENTRATIONS OF RARE PLANTS. WITH THE REPORT IS AN INTERACTIVE MAPPING TOOL ENABLING LAND TRUSTS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO SEE PRIORITIES BY HABITAT, HIGH PLANT DIVERSITY, CLIMATE RESILIENCY, LEVEL OF CURRENT PROTECTION, AND THREAT FROM DEVELOPMENT. THE MAPPING TOOL SCALES FROM THE INDIVIDUAL PARCEL LEVEL TO THE REGION. COMPLETED THE 5-YEAR PROJECT TO REVEGETATE THE SUMMIT OF CADILLAC MOUNTAIN IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK IN ME, BY PLANTING MORE THAN 3,000 PLUGS OF NATIVE SPECIES INTO 100 PLOTS. ALL PLANTS WERE GROWN AT OUR NURSERY FROM SEED COLLECTED IN THE PARK. THIS PILOT PROJECT DEMONSTRATED FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE THE COSTS, BENEFITS, AND METHODOLOGY FOR HABITAT RESTORATION OF THIS SCALE ON A MOUNTAIN SUMMIT. ONGOING TAXONOMIC RESEARCH NAMED TWO TAXA NEW TO SCIENCE, LOCATED A GLOBALLY RARE PLANT ENDEMIC TO VT THAT WAS BELIEVED TO BE EXTINCT, IDENTIFIED NEW RECORDS OF SEVERAL RARE PLANTS, AND ADDRESSED THE NEED TO RECLASSIFY SEVERAL RARE PLANTS. MADE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS ON THE INTENSIVE EFFORT TO COLLECT SEEDS FROM TWO-THIRDS OF THE POPULATIONS OF THE REGION'S 389 RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS FOR PERMANENT CONSERVATION IN THE SEED BANK AND FOR USE IN PROJECTS TO ENHANCE THEIR VIABILITY ON THE LANDSCAPE. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS COLLECTED SEED FROM 83 POPULATIONS, REPRESENTING 57 TAXA. VOLUNTEERS ALSO SURVEYED RARE PLANT POPULATIONS AT 745 SITES ACROSS THE REGION. WORKED WITH ALL SIX STATE NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAMS IN NEW ENGLAND TO DEVELOP A SINGLE ELECTRONIC FORM FOR REPORTING ON FIELD MONITORING OF RARE PLANT POPULATIONS. PREVIOUSLY, THE DATA AND FORMAT VARIED BY STATE, MAKING REGIONAL ANALYSIS DIFFICULT. COMBINED WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW DATABASE FOR THE PREVIOUS 30 YEARS OF FIELD SURVEYING, THIS WILL ENABLE US AND THE STATE PROGRAMS TO CONDUCT TREND ANALYSIS, ANALYZE PRIORITIES, AND MORE EFFECTIVELY COORDINATE OUR REGIONAL AND STATE-BASED CONSERVATION ACTIONS. IN TOTAL, 451 TRAINED VOLUNTEERS GAVE MORE THAN 20,000 HOURS TO THE REGIONAL PLANT CONSERVATION PROGRAM THIS YEAR. THIS INCLUDES PROFESSIONAL BOTANISTS WHO REVIEW DATA AND SET CONSERVATION PRIORITIES, PLUS FIELD VOLUNTEERS WHO MONITOR THE STATUS OF RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS, COLLECT SEED, AND UNDERTAKE MANAGEMENT TO BENEFIT RARE PLANTS.

HORTICULTURE - ADMISSION TO GARDEN IN THE WOODS WAS STILL LIMITED BY COVID MANDATES IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THE SIX-MONTH SEASON. VISITORS WERE EAGER TO RETURN TO THE 45-ACRE BOTANIC GARDEN, WHICH AIMS TO EDUCATE AND INSPIRE VISITORS TO USE NATIVE PLANTS IN THEIR GARDENS AND TO CONSERVE THEM IN THE WILD. ATTENDANCE REACHED APP. 75% OF PRE-PANDEMIC LEVEL, OR 14,500 PEOPLE IN 2021. GUIDED TOURS FOR THE PUBLIC RESUMED, BUT SCHOOL TOURS DID NOT. WE CONTINUED TO OFFER DISCOUNTED ADMISSION THROUGH PASSES AVAILABLE AT LOCAL LIBRARIES AND FOR SENIORS, STUDENTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES. NASAMI FARM NURSERY PRODUCED 42,000 SEED-GROWN PLUGS OF 178 NATIVE SPECIES, FOR SALE IN OUR RETAIL SHOPS AND BY CONTRACT FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS, INCLUDING A NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RESTORATION ON BOSTON HARBOR ISLANDS, A SANDPLAIN/GRASSLANDS RESTORATION ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD, AND A "POLLINATOR PATHWAY" IN CRANSTON, RI. THE NURSERY ALSO CONTINUED GERMINATION TRIALS ON HARD-TO-GROW SPECIES AND PUBLISHED THE RESULTS. THE HORTICULTURE VOLUNTEERS AT THE GARDEN AND NURSERY CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN 1,200 HOURS FOR GARDEN MAINTENANCE, SEED CLEANING, AND PLANT PROPAGATION.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS - THE MAJORITY OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS REMAINED ONLINE, ALTHOUGH IN THE WARMER MONTHS PEOPLE DID WANT SOME OUTDOOR CLASSES. OFFERED 185 PROGRAMS, DRAWING 4,121 PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO LEARN ABOUT BOTANY, HORTICULTURE, CONSERVATION, LANDSCAPE DESIGN, AND MORE. ALSO LAUNCHED A PHONE APP. TOUR OF GARDEN IN THE WOODS, WHICH RECEIVED NEARLY 38,000 VIEWS. AN ADDITIONAL 8,500 PEOPLE VISITED THE GARDEN VIRTUALLY USING THE WEB VERSION OF THE TOUR.