Sowing and Growing for a Sustainable Future
Native aster flowers
Nature Links participants had the chance to meet two fabulous special guests this week, both working hard to preserve and restore biodiversity here in Maine and beyond. We learned so much from both of them about the importance of promoting native and heirloom plants and trees for our own health and the health of our planet.
First, we were joined by Nell Houde, manager of education projects at The Wild Seed Project. The Wild Seed Project is a non-profit organization based in Southern Maine that works to “repopulate landscapes with native plants that expand wildlife habitat, support biodiversity, and build climate resilience.”
Nell began her presentation by explaining why native seeds are so important. Seeds (rather than cuttings of plants) can help ensure more genetic diversity in plants that are propagated. If one milkweed plant is drought intolerant, for example, a cutting of that plant will create another drought intolerant milkweed plant. A packet of seeds, however, will include a collection of genetically different plants. Because they’re different, there’s a better chance the plant will have a chance to survive. Repopulating an area with healthy native plants can establish a strong foundation for vibrant wild ecosystems, providing crucial habitats for pollinators and wildlife.
When she’s not teaching people about native plants, Nell is often out in the field. Along with her colleagues at the Wild Seed Project and a handful of dedicated volunteers, Nell goes out to collect seeds from various native plants. The seeds are then placed into packets to sell or distribute to schools or other organizations. The Wild Seed Project does the collecting, packing, and shipping of the seeds, and estimates that over 1.8 million native plants have been propagated from their efforts.
A screenshot from Nell’s presentation on behalf of The Wild Seed Project
The Wild Seed Project not only distributes and sells seeds, but they also work hard to educate the community on how they can promote native plants in their own backyards and land. Nell says teaching people to identify different plants allows people to see a whole new world of “hundreds of different friends” when they walk outside.
Every living thing that shares space with us—birds, mammals, insects, and fungi—all rely on native plants for their survival. Plants are the only things that can take their energy from the sun and create energy through photosynthesis. One out of every three bites we eat exists because of animal pollinators. If we only take human priorities as the most important thing on earth, we ignore all the other organisms that we need to help our ecosystems thrive.
A gorgeous apple from 5 Star Nursery and Orchard in Brooklin, Maine
We were also joined recently by Molly Dellaroman, another Mainer working hard to promote biodiversity through her work. Molly and her partner Tim run 5 Start Nursery and Orchard in Brooklin, Maine. 5 Star Orchard is a Certified Organic fruit orchard “specializing in heirloom varieties of apples, peaches, plums, and pears.”
The orchard itself was planted in the 1980s by a previous owner, and Molly and Tim took over about 5 years ago. Molly and Tim lovingly refer to their orchard as “The Library”, because they grow over 40 different varieties of fruit trees, including rare varieties you can’t find in your local grocery store. As an example, Molly and Tim have a Great Pyrenees named Baldwin, named after the apple variety that was once the most popular apple grown in the U.S., but one that is much harder to find today. The Baldwin apple was highly preferred for its long storage abilities and its versatility. Baldwin apples have a tasty flavor when used in baking or fresh eating. However, despite its popularity, a historically frigid winter in 1934 killed about 60% of the apples growing in New England at the time and made the Baldwin apple extremely vulnerable. The story of the Baldwin apple mirrors that of so many other varieties in the once-incredibly diverse landscape of Maine-grown fruit. In the mid-1800s, there were thousands of unique apple varieties grown in our country. By the mid-1990s, industrial agriculture shrank that number to promote just a handful of commercially preferred apples. Countless other varieties were nearly lost. But 5 Star Orchard works incredibly hard to preserve these rare fruit varieties, like the Baldwin apple, the northern spy apple, and an Asian pear she says tastes “like a butterscotch candy”.
In addition to apples, peaches and pears, Molly and Tim process and sell their own apple cider. We had a chance to see the cider press they use to make thousands of gallons of cider each fall. Nature Links participants loved seeing photos of the orchard and asking thoughtful questions like “how does temperature affect your apples?” or “which varieties of apple do you use to make your cider?”.
The very cool and efficient apple press Molly and Tim use to make their cider.
Guest speakers are such an important part of our Nature Links curriculum. Learning from community members about their work, asking questions and learning from their expertise is crucial for our participants. They absolutely cherish the chance to meet someone new and learn so much from them. We were so lucky to have been joined by Nell and Molly, and admire the work they both do to promote biodiversity here in Maine. Thank you so much, Nell and Molly!
