By Nikki Belmonte
Most of us have heard of an animal rescue, but have you ever heard of a plant rescue?
Picture this: A tract of land slated for the next local development project is infiltrated by a team clad in fluorescent vests and gloves, shovels in hand. After consulting a map and reviewing the tactical plan, the team breaks off into small groups and wanders strategically across the property in search of native plants to dig up and save from the crude blade of a bulldozer. Rescuers bag and tag species that will be transported and rehomed where the plant can continue its life in a safe (and appropriate) native habitat.
This is no clandestine operation, just a group of volunteers trained in plant rescue by Georgia Native Plant Society (GNPS). There are so many actions and processes that take place – or CAN take place – before land is developed. The purpose of the plant rescue program is to relocate native plants that are in the direct path of development. It is a logical step that could be added to many development projects, especially in a time where native plant habitat is quickly disappearing.
Plant rescue is essentially how the GNPS got its start. This signature program of the organization began in the mid 1990s as development boomed across metro Atlanta. It is a community effort undertaken with the developer’s written permission and with many hours of volunteer labor. Rescued plants go to restoration sites, parks, nature centers, schools, public gardens, plant sales, and backyard habitats.
The program is also a community builder and an outdoor classroom. The founder of the program, Jeane Reeves, saw the plant rescue program as more than a direct act of conservation. “Saving [native plants] from certain destruction not only perpetuates their lives, it educates and enriches ours.” It is a rewarding activity from many angles.
In fact, many GNPS members and volunteers over the past three decades attribute their knowledge and enthusiasm to the plant rescue program. Ellen Honeycutt, the current board chair of Georgia Native Plant Society and author behind the Using Georgia Natives blog, credits the program as a way to become intimately familiar with plants and their habitats. “The rescue program is where I learned to observe how plants grow naturally, what communities they support, and how their beauty is a unique and special part of Georgia.”
While many plants over the years have gone to volunteers’ yards or local public garden projects, rescue is also used in larger scale conservation efforts. Last year the Coastal Plain Chapter of GNPS was contacted by Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Georgia Department of Transportation about rescuing hooded pitcher plants (Sarracenia minor), a rapidly declining pollinator plant. This species was added to the state protection list because of the threat of poaching and commercial exploitation, however now habitat destruction is one of the top concerns. The population that DNR was looking to save was located on each side of a road widening project along a South Georgia highway. More than 400 hooded pitcher plants were rescued over several days. About 100 of them were out planted in a conservation area within 60 miles of the road project. The rest will reside in a nearby state park and a wildlife management area (WMA).
Out planting hooded pitcher plants. Photo by P. Sumner.
“It is so rewarding to rescue such precious natives and later see them planted in various parks where they have the opportunity to prosper and share their beauty with many who have no awareness of the uniqueness natives bring to our environment.” Amber Malloy, a rescue facilitator and volunteer at the GNPS Stone Mountain Propagation Project, sees much opportunity for not just the plants, but for people as well. “As a facilitator I get excited to help coordinate scheduling of rescues so others can also have the experience to walk through the woods, observe, question, and gather plants for their gardens. Depending on the season, you are surprised to find beauties that were not visible a month earlier.”
Given the nature of the work, plant rescues are open to GNPS members only. Luckily, membership is cheap ($30 per year) and the knowledge and skills one can pick up are endless. When it comes to rescues, volunteers learn not only how to identify plants in the field, but also learn about each plants’ habitat, how to properly remove and care for a rescued plant, and what it takes to arrange rescue with a property owner. The more people that get involved, the more plants that will be saved from destruction, and the more improved other properties will be. It’s really a win-win-win situation; the plants win, a different habitat benefits and people learn.
“Sadly we can’t rescue everything, but if we could gather as many plants as possible and find them some different earth before they are destroyed is such a critical mission.”
Read more about GNPS plant rescues on the FAQ page. We hope to see you out there!
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