The Native Seed Program focuses on providing seed for restoration projects within park natural areas. Several hundred acres of prairie, oak savanna, and oak woodland are restored each year, making seed one of the biggest expenses for restoration projects. More and more seed has been collected each year, allowing the use of limited funds to purchase rare seed that otherwise wouldn't be in new restorations. Every year, thanks to Dane County Parks volunteers and partners, thousands of pounds of seed are collected, processed, and sown.
By collecting seed from properties across Dane County, volunteers help to preserve Wisconsin's native flora and fauna for generations to come.
During the summer and fall, seeds are collected from hundreds of native plant species from prairies, oak savannas, wetlands, and woodland ecosystems. Volunteers have the opportunity to learn: basic to advanced plant ID techniques, plant phenology (stages of plant growth), plant ecology, and differences between habitat types. Come soak in the beauty of southern Wisconsin's natural areas and enjoy autumn at its best!
Workdays are typically hosted June - November. Click on the "Current Workdays" button below.
All of the native seed collected throughout the season is processed in-house by using different pieces of machinery (hammer mills and fanning mills) and by hand. Cleaning the seed helps later in the weighing and sowing process and offsets hundreds of thousands of dollars in native seed purchases. Volunteers have the opportunity to learn: native seed identification, how to clean seed by hand, how to operate (and maintain) seed cleaning equipment from the 1920s, and much more.
Workdays are typically hosted November - January. Click on the "Current Workdays" button below.
In this final processing step, all the clean seed has to be weighed and portioned-out into individual bags for allocation to specific restoration projects. Weights of bags differ and range from ounces to pounds. Volunteers will measure out specific amounts of seed using simple hand tools and scales at individual stations.
Workdays are typically hosted in January. Click on the "Current Workdays" button below.
Prairie, oak savanna, and wetland restorations are seeded in the winter months and mostly with mechanized equipment. However, volunteers are needed when certain species are best sown by hand, at different types of year, or need to be sown in areas that can’t be accessed by vehicle and/or planting equipment. Volunteers have the opportunity to learn: seeding density, how to choose certain species by habitat type, and much more.
Workdays are typically hosted in January - March, but can be other times of year. Click on the "Current Workdays" button below.
View photos of:
Collection
Cleaning
Weighing & Bagging
Seeding
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Cleaning:
Weighing and Bagging:
Seeding:
Youth under 16 years old are allowed to attend with an adult chaperone, and youth ages 16-17 can volunteer independently with a Volunteer Registration Form (PDF) signed by a Parent/Guardian.
Collection:
Cleaning:
Weighing and Bagging:
Seeding:
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Collection:
Cleaning:
Weighing and Bagging:
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Independent Volunteering:
If you are interested in independently collecting native seed for the Native Seed Program, please reach out to Natural Areas staff. Training is provided at seed collection workdays or upon request.
Volunteer-led Workdays:
Many of Dane County Parks Friends Groups and Certified Land Stewards host Seed Collection and Seed Sowing Workdays independently from park staff. These workdays may be held on other days and times throughout the year. Check the Event Calendar for additional volunteer opportunities.
Dane County Parks Volunteers, Friends Groups, and Partners can request native seeds for restoration plantings by completing our online Seed Request Form. Depending on the season, staff may not be able to entirely fulfill your request.
Contact:
Dane County Parks Volunteer Program
(608) 516-3703
parksvolunteer@danecounty.gov
