Native Grass Restoration Project Workers Plant Grass Seed Planted at BOWA

A Citizen Science Virginia Master Naturalist collaborative effort kicked off the spring by planting the three types of seed mixes that will be tested as native grasses that may successfully out-compete the invasive Johnson grass now growing in a hay field at the Monument in the Booker T. National Park (BOWA).

Last fall the area was successfully cleared of all grass and this spring the area was "disked" by Park personnel to prepare it for the seeding effort.  

Six hardy volunteers braved the very cool April day and worked the 20 x 32 m area clearing the rocks, laying wood chip observation corridors, and gridding the area in 18 subplots. Native grass seed mixes representing habitats for tall grass, short grass and forage were then hand-broadcast into each subplot for a total of 6 subplots per mix. Now all we have to do is cross our fingers and hope it grows! Quantitative observations of the results will be conducted this fall.  

This project and more Citizen Science projects can found at this website: Collaborative Science

Native Grass Restoration Project Workers Plant Grass Seed Planted at BOWA