Volunteers Gather Native Grass Seed For Forest Restoration
Calaveras, CA– A team of volunteers joined Calaveras District Botanist Anna Bonnette in the Interface OHV area to collect native grass seed for upcoming restoration projects across the Stanislaus National Forest.
The seed, gathered by Forest Service staff and partner organizations, will be used in various replanting efforts, including along portions of the Arnold Rim Trail. The district will announce future volunteer opportunities, and community members are encouraged to take part.
As explained by Bonnette, native species are often drought-tolerant thanks to their long root systems. They also help sequester carbon, slow soil erosion, and allow water to move through the soil and recharge the water table. In contrast, invasive species frequently form a dense monoculture carpet that can carry fire in unnatural ways. Native bunch grasses, by comparison, grow upright and don’t promote the erratic spread of fire, instead supporting more beneficial and natural fire behavior.
