Attention Nature and Plant Enthusiasts! Help Us Restore Our Local Forests
The Climate Adaptation Research Lab is calling on your green thumbs and gardening expertise to assist with an exciting Forest and Wetland Restoration Project! We’re working to restore vital native ecosystems in the Maxwell Creek Watershed, and your support can make all the difference.
Join Us for a Hands-On Planting Weekend!
Want to get your hands dirty for a great cause? We’ll be hosting a volunteer native planting weekend in the Maxwell Creek Watershed!
When: April 4th-6th, along with April 11th-13th
Times: 10am-4pm
We’d love for you to join us for one or all of the days! No experience is needed – just a love for nature and a willingness to dig in.
What to Expect:
- Learn about native plant species and their role in ecosystem restoration.
- Help plant hundreds of native trees, shrubs, and flowers.
- Meet fellow gardening enthusiasts and conservationists.
- Enjoy a rewarding day outdoors, making a lasting impact.
Bring your gloves, appropriate clothes for the weather, water, a shovel (if you have one), and a friend! We’ll provide the plants, guidance, plenty of appreciation, and lunch!
Ways to Get Involved Before Planting Day
- Donate seeds, cuttings, or potted native plants (see below).
- Help propagate native species in preparation for spring (see list on the next page).
- Spread the word to other plant lovers who might want to help!
Contact Keegan Thomas for more information or to sign up.
Click here to learn more about the work.
Additionally, we need assistance sourcing and propagating native plant species for planting this coming April 2025. Specifically, we’re aiming to plant:
| Trees/Overstory | Shrubs/Mid-layer | Herb/Groundcover |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Willow (Salix lucida) | Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) | Coastal strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) |
| Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) | Trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus Cham) | Woodland/Alpine strawberry (Fragari vesca) |
| Red alder((Alnus rubra)) | Red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium) | Honeysuckle (Lonicer ciliosa) |
| Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) | Baldhip Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa Nutt.) | Yerba buena (Clinopodium douglasii) |
| Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) | Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana) | Twin flower (Linnaea borealis L.) |
| Red Osier Dogwood (Cornys sericea L.) | Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) | Foam flower (Tiarella trifoliata) |
| Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) | Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) | Vanilla leaf (Achlys triphylla) |
| June plum [Osoberry] (Oemleria cerasiformis) | Salal (Gaultheria shallon) | False lily of the valley (Maianthemum dilatatum) |
| Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) | Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium) | Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) |
| Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor) | Sword fern (Polystichum munitum) | Hedge-nettle (Stachys chamissonis var. cooleyae) |
| Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) | Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata) | |
| Blackcap raspberry (Rubus leucodermis) | Siberian Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia Siberica) |
It is important to have unhybridized native plants as they will play a key role in improving local biodiversity, stabilizing soils, and enhancing habitat resilience in the face of climate change. If you have any plants you’d like to donate or if you have any locations we can take plant cuttings from, please let us know!
Interested in helping? If you have any questions, donations, or want to join the list to help, please reach out!
Thank you for partnering with us to make a real impact! Let’s grow a stronger, more resilient forest and future together!
Contact Keegan Thomas for more information or to sign up.
Click here to learn more about the work.