Service Opportunity – Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Photos: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens-transplanting
The Natives Team at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, which includes several Fairfax Master Naturalists, has gotten off to a great start this spring, in spite of the crazy up-and-down weather. Projects we have worked on include:
1. Transplanting into pots native seedlings that were grown from seeds collected last year in the gardens. We will be transplanting the seedlings into the ground later this year.
Photos Meadowlark Botanical Gardens-transplanting
2. Creating a new trail that will connect existing native areas and allow for managing invasives in the surrounding woods.
Photos Meadowlark Botanical Gardens-trails
3. Planting American chestnut trees, sourced through the Virginia Department of Forestry’s chestnut research and reintroduction program, which is cross-breeding chestnut trees for blight resistance in the hopes of bringing back a species that once dominated the forests of eastern North America.
Photos Meadowlark Botanical Gardens-planting
Several other projects are in the works, and we could use some help! Most of the team usually volunteers on Tuesday mornings, but volunteers would also be welcome on other weekday mornings. If you would like to join us, please reach out to Meadowlark’s volunteer coordinator, Emma Werthmann at
ewerthmann@nvrpa.org and tell her you are interested in the Natives Team.