Plant Rescues

It's heartbreaking to watch bulldozers plow down cherished woodlots, meadows buzzing with life, or the rich diversity of a wetland. For those who insist on calling such destruction "progress" perhaps it's time to phrase the value of these settings in terms of financial loss. Few people stop to catalog the value of the millions of individual plants lost each year to development. The pickers and some disreputable nursery folk who uproot thousands of plants from the wild each year understand too well their monetary value. So do the realtors who tout the value of "mature trees" in their advertisements. It's time to let the developers in on the secret.

A small woodlot can literally contain thousands of dollars worth of ferns, orchids, and other wildflowers -- not to mention timber. Large trees can appreciably increase the value of new developments -- you can't transplant 100 year old trees. Add in the value of hundreds of frogs, newts, snakes and other creatures not likely to escape heavy equipment and you've got ammunition to delay "construction" for a few days to salvage some of the more transportable elements or perhaps alter the plans.

While it is, of course, despicable to remove plants from the wild, it is necessary if the wild is about to be paved over.

It is a lot of work to slog through the mud and debris of a construction site to haul out precious native species, and considering that they can't all be treated as gently as one might like, some prizes might not make it. Everything that does survive to be established in a new setting, however, is worth the effort it took to get it there. My own garden contains Blue Cohosh saved from the path of a new highway, Yellow Lady Slippers and ferns from a housing development, and several once doomed toads. These same sites also provided our Society with funds to help establish this web page in the form of dozens of rescued Trilliums sold at NANPS annual native plant sale.

If you know of a doomed enclave of native plants, please make arrangements to salvage what you can.

1. The first step is to contact the developer -- they don't always see what treasures their land holds. If the land owner is uncooperative,another tactic is to go through your local government. Some municipalities tack on interesting restrictions to their development agreements-- including the relocation of rare plants and the protection of individual trees or portions of woodlots. Be aware of that even “protected” trees are subject to damage from heavy equipment operating near their roots -- ensure that a sufficient zone surrounding each tree is cordoned off.

2. Once permission has been obtained to access the property, gather your forces. Check with local conservation groups both for volunteers and for expert advice. That unassuming little plant in the corner might actually be quite an unusual find. Don't forget to let the locals know of your plans -- it cuts down on time-consuming misunderstandings and may well lead to new native plant gardening converts.

3. Walk through the site to target priorities for your rescue effort. Agree on a schedule with the developer and set the date(s) for your rescue efforts.

4. Prepare an area for your newly uprooted refugees. Try to mimic original growing conditions as closely as possible. Urge your volunteers to do the same for whatever plants they are to keep.

5. Alert the local media. The more people you can get out to help, the more plants will be saved.
List the details on our PLANT RESCUE FORM:

Suggested equipment includes plenty of plastic bags (much easier to carry in quantity than buckets and pots), narrow transplanting spades, and hand trowels. Dress appropriately for the weather and the site -- rubber boots, rain gear, sun screen, insect repellent (skip that if you intend to handle sensitive creatures such as toads or newts). Remember, a large root ball is not always necessary and can be extremely difficult to transport. Keep the plants moist in a shaded location and transplant as soon as possible.

Coming Soon