Native Seed Collections

Overview

Each year we host public seed collection events throughout the NCA. The events not only keep our restoration volunteers engaged in our Habitat Improment Program, they also provide a much need source of locally collected shrub, forb, and grass seeds for our programs and our agency partners.

Why It Matters

Habitat improvment in low-elevation sagesteppe habitat is not an easy process. Harsh conditions like hight temperatures and extreamly low annual rainfall make high success rates difficult to achieve. Using locally sourced seeds for our propagation and seedling efforts is a must. Seeds collected from sites even a few hundred feet higher in elevation are not well adapted for dessert live. In 20025 our voluteers collected almost 100 pounds of raw native seeds from five target shrub species. We’ve also initiated planting ‘pollinator islands’ in easliy accessible areas to create forb seed collections sites that can be targeted for seed collections over the next several years. Native forbs are scarce on the landscape in general, and after years of wildfire devistation, finding areas with dense forb coverage for seed collections is almost impossible.

Photos from seed collection events hosted in fall of 2025

SEED Collection Projects & Events

Native Youth for Habitat Restoration

This project provides habitat restoration training and education for native youth from the Duck Valley Reservation.

Students fromt he Owyhee Combined School participated and learned about all components of habitat restoration from seed collection, seed cleaning, propagation, and installation, while helping to enhance existing BLM restoration site in the NCA.

National Public Lands Day

In late September 2021, our incredible BLM NCA staff, led by Ecologist Ann Marie Raymondi, hosted a native plant installation project at Dedication Point, not only to celebrate National Public Lands Day (NPLD - 24th of September, 2021), but also the 75th Anniversary of the BLM. Over 700 native shrubs and forbs were planted by over 25 volunteers as part of a multi-year restoration project at the NCA’s most visited site. The large amount of rainfall the area received in the days following the NPLD planting gave an important head start to all the new plants.

Native Perspectives 

This project introduced students from the Duck Valley Reservation to the NCA. The BOPP coordinated a field trip to Dedication Point and Celebration Park, where students, tribal elders, and BLM and BOPP staff discussed the wildlife and landscape features that make the NCA unique.

During the field trip, tribal elders and students had the opportunity to discuss native perspectives on concepts like conservation and sustainability.