GROW IT FORWARD RESTORATION

Description

Grow It Forward Restoration harnesses the skill of gardeners to grow native seedlings for use by habitat restoration organizations. Gardeners each host a "micor-nursery" of 100 native tree seedlings. These seedlings are then sent to local habitat restoration organizations who use them to restore habitats that are critical for the survival of many other native species, particularly salmon. The hosts get to contribute to healing the environment, restoration organizations get some of the valuable seedlings they need for their re-forestation projects and gain better recognition by the public for their work, and we all reclaim the power to help heal damage to our environment. Grow It Forward Restoration sets up a new cohort of micro-nurseries each spring by organizing volunteer pickup truck owners to deliver 500 lbs of soil,100 bare root seedlings, and 100 nursery pots to each host. This year we will start up 100 micro-nurseries, each host tending their100 seedlings for one to two years. After one to two years when the seedlings have reached the size restoration organizations prefer for their projects, Grow It Forward Restoration organizes volunteer pickup truck owners to return to each host, collect their seedlings, and transport them to various area habitat restoration organizations to plant at their active restoration sites. In 2021, we delivered 3,300 seedlings to 10 different habitat restoration organizations in the Seattle area.