Ecological Restoration: Native Seed Program - Seed Mixing at Libby Rd

Seed Mixing

It's that time again! Lend a hand in Dane County’s seed shed to continue processing the seed harvest from hundreds of species of native plants. Seeds have been collected, cleaned, weighed, and bagged by volunteers and now we need to mix them. This seed will eventually end up at a variety of prairie plantings and woodland restorations throughout Dane County. We have hundreds of bags to process and your help would be greatly appreciated!

This is a relatively new part of the process where we're asking volunteers to come help us pre-mix our prairie planting mixes! After we've allocated seed to each project, we must then mix our seed back into chaff to help spread out the seed when it's being planted. Volunteers will be using shovels to help turn the seed into the chaff (imagine mixing a compost heap), using brooms to consolidate our piles, and helping to bag up the mixes. This process will be dusty, and require moving around., but will have a variety of tasks for volunteers to do.

No prior experience is needed. All tools and training will be provided. Hearing protection, dust masks, and additional PPE will be provided. Space is limited and registration is required. Children are welcome as long as they are supervised by a parent or adult chaperone (youth 16 and older can attend unsupervised, and should register with their own MyImpact account).

Location: 

Dane County Seed Shed - 4401 Libby Rd, Madison, WI 53711

Parking lot is behind the building. Seed mixing equipment is in Bay 2, marked by a "Volunteer Entrance" sign.

How to Prepare: 

What to Know:

  • All tools and materials are provided.  
  • Training is provided.
  • Bring drinking water and a snack if desired.

What to Wear: 

  • Comfortable closed-toed shoes are recommended.
  • Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dusty.

Accessibility:

  • Volunteers will need to be on their feet and moving around for the majority of the time if we are mixing.
  • Building is heated.
  • Restroom and water fountain available onsite.
  • Our department is committed to providing meaningful access to our programs and resources to all individuals, regardless of primary language or ability. If you need language assistance services or an accessibility modification for this program, please submit this request form a minimum of 10 business days before the program to make the request. Please note, it is not possible for all programs to be modified. 

Questions?

Schedule Summary

This activity generally occurs on

  • Monday Afternoon
  • Tuesday Morning

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