Program areas at NEWFS
Conservation - our work on rare and endangered plants encompassed research and strategy, on-site conservation, and seed banking. Began writing the update to "flora conservanda," in collaboration with the six state natural heritage programs. The report uses analysis of shared field data to establish the top priorities for rare Plant monitoring, habitat management, and seed banking for the next ten years. This year, 290 trained volunteers invested 12,000 hours in monitoring populations of rare and endangered plants in locations across the region and in collecting seeds of 41 species for the seed bank. Grew 6,000 plants of the endangered annual rose gentian (sabatia stellaris) for augmentation at one of few remaining populations in ct, in collaboration with ct audubon.completed monitoring and augmentation of the globally rare jesup's milk vetch, found in only three naturally-occurring locations on earth. Also completed several objectives outlined in the federal recovery plan for this taxon, including a genetic analysis, site management plans, and conservation easements around known populations.partnered with the horticulture department to launch the northeast seed network, a collaboration with nurseries, federal and state agencies, and conservation groups to build a sustainable source of ecotypic seed for this region. Received funding from us fish & wildlife service to work on seed collection and seed increase for habitat restoration, and to produce a symposium to announce the network and recruit partners.
Public programs - we continued our successful online programming while resuming a robust offering of in-person courses and public events. Offered 165 programs that drew people from across north america to learn about botany, conservation, horticulture, landscape design, and more. The "need for seed" symposium, which focused on the northeast seed network, was our most attended program, at 696 participants. In addition to in-person tours of garden in the woods, offered a virtual tour taken by 5,500 people, 81% of whom were new visitors.
Horticulture - the horticulture program, based at garden in the woods and nasami farm, focuses on ecological horticulture and new england Native plants. This year we prepared for the launch of the new northeast seed network, a collaborative effort across the region to create a sustainable supply of seeds of Native plants for retail and restoration markets. Native Plant Trust will run the network and will provide training as well as cleaning and storage of the seed grown by partners. Received significant foundation and private funding to construct new seed facilities at nasami farm.our nursery at nasami farm produced 53,600 seed-grown plugs, 81% from wild or local ecotype seed, for sale in our retail shops and by contract for specific projects, including an understory installation at harvard's arnold arboretum, a sandplain/grassland restoration on martha's vineyard, and an urban planting for the city of somerville.in its six-month season, garden in the woods welcomed 18,000 local, national, and international visitors to a naturalistic garden in a wooded landscape with steep-sided valleys, a pond, and a stream.published this year were the book the northeast Native Plant primer: 235 plants for an earth-friendly garden by the director of horticulture and research articles by nursery staff in Native plants journal and the butterfly gardener.
Retail shopsthe retail shops at garden in the woods and nasami farm served members (with discounts), visitors, and wholesale customers by offering a large selection of known-provenance Native plants they could find nowhere else plus books related to botany and horticulture and selected gifts.membership - served 6,016 members with a range of benefits, including e-communications, publications, education and nursery discounts, reciprocal admissions programs, and special events. Began to move events from remote to hybrid models as covid-19 concerns decreased.