MRG’s restoration garden was a success right from the start. Starting in 2016, Rod Christie spent many hours collecting seeds from local wildflower stock and planting them in raised beds with covers to protect plants from chipmunks and other predators. Once mature, these plants were then used as seed and plant sources for a wide array of native herbaceous plant restoration activities.
Rod and staff spent the past few days planting a new batch of black cohosh, wild ginger, bloodroot, Solomon’s seal, false Solomon’s seal, and foam flower in different parts of the Preserve in an effort to restock native species where non-native invasives have been removed. We also planted within our largest deer exclosure and on rocky outcrops where deer are less likely to venture.
Our aim is to preserve / increase biodiversity in the forest and restore species that have been extirpated by hungry deer. In conjunction with our deer management program we hope to restore native wildflowers once present in the Preserve and create a healthier, more diverse forest that is resistant to climate change and illustrative of the old-growth forest of the past.
