On March 4th, Great Neck Branch went to Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI) with members of the New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation to separate and purify the seeds (Big Blue Stem and Switchgrass). These plants are native plants of the area grown to bind loose soil and provide a valuable wildlife habitat for grazing animals. Switchgrass spreads by seed drop and underground rhizomes. By taking these seeds out, we can better replant them back into the area.
Stratification is a way to mimic a specific environment in which the plants would experience in the soil over the winter. There are two types of stratification, warm and cold stratification, which are used to prepare the seeds to be ready. Lastly, we visited a machine with a filter that was used to separate the seeds from their plant.
The members were very intrigued with the process and look forward to learn more!
Members participated (3h): Wenda Dong, I-Han Liao, Faxi Xia, Stephanie Tsai, Zixi Xia, Lucas Liao