Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a deciduous tree that can be recognised by a distinctive combination of compound leaves, paired thorns and flat seed…
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Identifying Black Locust Through Leaves And Seed Pods
Collecting Seeds With Children for Environmental Education
Collecting seeds with children turns a walk through a park, schoolyard or community garden into a practical lesson about living systems. A fallen acorn, walnut…
How to Identify a Cottonwood by Its Triangular Leaves and Fluffy Seeds
Cottonwoods are fast-growing trees of moist river margins, floodplains and lakeshores. Their most useful field marks are easy to remember: broadly triangular…
How to Clean and Dry Acorns Before Sending to Nurseries
Healthy oak seedlings begin with careful handling long before a seed reaches the nursery bench. Acorns can carry soil, leaf litter, insects, mould and small…
Native understory shrubs and the renewal of healthy forests
Forest regeneration is often pictured as a contest between tall trees reaching for sunlight. Yet a recovering forest depends on much more than canopy species.…
A Hands-On Tree Seed Art Contest Kids Will Remember
A tree seed art contest gives children a playful way to notice the natural world. Acorns, gum nuts, walnuts, seed pods and winged samaras can become patterns,…
How to Identify Serviceberry by Flowers and Berries
Serviceberry is a deciduous shrub or small tree best known for its delicate white blossoms and small, sweet fruit. Several North American species share the…
Why Seed Collection Volunteers Help Reduce Erosion in Watersheds
Healthy waterways depend on what happens beyond the water’s edge. When rain falls on bare soil, compacted ground or a poorly vegetated streambank, it can carry…
How to Create a Seed Wish List for Partner State Nurseries
A seed wish list turns a broad collection effort into a practical restoration plan. Rather than gathering whatever is easiest to find, volunteers can focus on…
Choosing Native Oaks For Streamside Restoration
Healthy stream corridors depend on trees that can tolerate changing water levels, hold soil in place and provide food and shelter for wildlife. In the Potomac…