We get by with a little help from our friends

Successful Seed Collection Despite Forest Closures

On September 15, amidst much smoke and many wildfires that had shut down all activity on US Forest Service Lands - including our customary cones collections - we posted a simple plea on our Facebook page:

"WE NEED HELP! The Jeffrey pine seeds are helicoptering down everywhere in Tahoe-Truckee right now! Please collect some in a ziplock bag and send them to us. We need them for fire restoration."

Within 24 hours, over 30,000 folks had viewed this post and the seeds started pouring in!  Never in the history of our little org have we had so many views of a single post, by the way!  The total is now 64,659, which is completely mind-boggling considering that our posts are usually viewed by a maximum of 300 or so people.

The phenomenal outpouring of support given the plight of California's forests this fall was truly heartwarming.

Our deepest thanks go out to all who took the time to gather seed, check for bug holes and de-wing the seeds!  Quite simply: our future forests start with seed collection.  And our forests need all the help we can give them right now!

We would also like to thank the Tahoe Daily Tribune for reiterating our request to our community in print so eloquently.

Within about a week, we had about 15 lbs of seed, enough to grow about 20,000 trees!  And more seed is still trickling in!

Most likely, we will put this seed towards reforestation in Loyalton, plus the Fork, Emerald and Little Valley Fire burn scars in the near future.