Seeking cardboard for Elderberry Wisdom Farm elderberry patch

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We are asking for help from volunteers to collect cardboard for our elderberry patch at Elderberry Wisdom Farm. We have made a lot of progress at the farm the past two years, mostly thanks to our amazing group of volunteers. Just this past month, we potted over 800 Native plants in our temporary greenhouse. They will be gradually planted on the property here in the next 6 months.

We are now getting ready to create our living green fence along the property line by the road where many of the potted plants will be planted later this year. (description below)

UPCOMING VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES:

Help is needed before next Saturday, May 29:

We need our friends to help us by calling around and finding recycled cardboard for us this next week. If any of you can help us to collect cardboard between now and May 29, it would be so welcomed. Just email or call me and keep me updated on progress.

You can either bring it to the farm or you can also email me with details and our team can pick the cardboard up by Friday, May 28.

Saturday, May 29 (from 10 am to noon and then 1 pm to 3 pm): Our volunteers will lay the cardboard down on the property line by the road. This is approximately 250 feet x 6 feet so a lot of cardboard is needed in preparation for wood chips being added the next day. More info on this "lasagna method" of habitat restoration is below.

Our volunteers will then help us rake the wood chips and cover top of the cardboard.

Background on our Living Green Fence: A living green fence, instead of being constructed of barbed wire, metal or wood, is constructed by planting and growing living bushes, shrubs and trees, and ground cover. In our case, these will all be Native plant species, including pollinators, first foods and medicinal species. Many of these plants are the starts you helped us to pot this past month.

• The roots of a living fence protect the soil and reduce erosion.
• The foliage of a provides shade and creates a windbreak for our new greenhouse being constructed this summer.
• The branches will offer wildlife habitat to bees, birds, squirrels and chipmunks and other small mammals and other welcome critters, including the family of Black Tailed Deer that walk through the property daily.
• Living fences also act as a sound barrier since we are so close to I-5 to the east of us, and Delaney Road SE which runs along the south side of our property.

Background on the "Lasagna" method of building the garden: We will add layers of organic materials, in our case, mostly recycled cardboard and wood chips, that will "cook down" over time, resulting in nutrient-rich soil that will help the Native trees, shrubs and plants in our living green fence thrive. Also known as sheet composting, lasagna gardening is beneficial for the environment because you're turning yard waste you'd add to a normal compost pile into organic fertilizer to grow the new plants.

If you can help us this month, or if you have Q's, just let us know. We have 3 rakes here, but if you have a rake that you can bring, that will help us since we still have limited supplies of farm tools and equipment.

Special thanks to our new Volunteer Committee which includes two Elderberry Wisdom Farm board members, Sadie Watson and Alanna Johnson and our new staff member, Kali Harrison. They will join me in planning all the activities at the farm this year and sharing the details on social media.

Thanks, Rose

Rose High Bear (Deg Hit'an Dine, Inupiaq) Founder

Elderberry Wisdom Farm

2281 Delaney Road SE

rose@elderberrywisdom.org