Native Seed Library Completed By Local Eagle Scout

Over the last few months, local Eagle Scout Candidate Malachi Reed (Troop 3, Dedham) has been hard at work designing, constructing, and installing a community native seed library as part of the Sawmill Lane Pollinator Pathway. The seed library, which was inspired by the "Little Free Libraries" seen around town, will be place for residents to access native seeds to plant in their own backyards. The motto of the library is "take a seed, leave a seed", and we hope this is a community resource that will enhance biodiversity across our town.

Members of Troop 3 in Dedham during the construction of the Seed Library.

Many native seeds require some preparation and/or germination before they can be planted in the ground. All of the seeds stocked in the library come from Prairie Moon Nursery, and each seed packet is labeled with the specific species. Using the Prairie Moon plant finder, you can look up specific instructions on how to make sure your little seed turns into a thriving native plant! The plant search is available on the top right corner of the main page, located at https://www.prairiemoon.com/.

Don't have seeds to share? Don't worry! Still feel free to take a few seed packets! Once the native plants are established, you can follow guidelines for seed saving to collect your own and eventually restock the library. The Dedham Conservation Commission plans to host a seminar on seed saving this coming Fall. This presentation from Virginia Tech also offers comprehensive guidelines on saving seeds.

The fully-stocked seed library - filled with native seeds from Prairie Moon Nursery.

Malachi Reed, Eagle Scout candidate from Troop 3 Dedham, with the newly-installed library.