Potomac Valley Audubon “Grows Native” in Jefferson County

The Project FLOW Watershed students at TA Lowery Elementary School in Jefferson County are trying something new to help improve the Chesapeake Bay and I wanted to keep you informed with their activities.  They are planting native seeds that have been collected on the school property and in surrounding areas.  The 100 fourth grade students at the school are attempting to grow black walnut, shagbark hickory, black oak, American dogwood, sweet gum, and paw paw seedlings from seeds!  The classes have planted the seeds in small pots and placed the pots in a “grow out station” on the school property.  Most of the seeds need to be “stratified” (or subjected to cold) over the winter to encourage sprouting in the spring.  The pots of seeds have been covered with hardware cloth to keep squirrels and deer from having a quick snack and then snugged up with layers of mulch.  In the spring, after the threat of frost is past, the students will remove the mulch and allow the seeds to begin germinating.

Some of the seeds, such as paw paw, will not sprout until June or July, but we’re hoping the others will begin earlier.  Since this is the first time the Watershed Program has tried a grow out station, we’re not really sure what will happen! (But we’ll keep you updated on the progress!)

In the spring, the seeds planted this week will be joined by some American Chestnut seeds!  These nuts come from American Chestnut trees that are being hybridized to become more blight resistant.  The seeds germinate best if they are planted in the spring rather than the fall, so we’ll wait to plant them next year.  The American Chestnut rarely survives past a few years growth, but every tree that produces nuts is helping another generation of chestnuts grow stronger.

Ellen Murphy, Potomac Valley Audubon Society