Become a Plant Conservation Volunteer with the Native Plant Trust!
From Micah Jasny The Native Plant Trust is the nation’s first plant conservation organization and the only one solely focused on NewEngland’s native plants. We save native plants in the wild, grow them for gardens and restorations, and educate others on their value and use. Based in Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA, we work throughout New England each year to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs.
THE PCV PROGRAM We are looking for passionate volunteers to join our Plant Conservation Volunteer (PCV) program! Established in Massa- chusetts in 1993, Native Plant Trust’s PCV program is the first rare plant monitoring program in the country that engages conservation-minded volunteers in monitoring rare and endan- gered plants, seed collection, and habitat management across the six states of New England. Since its creation, the PCV program has grown to a consortium of over 120 professional botanists and hundreds of volunteer botanists.
PCV ACTIVITIES Plant Conservation Volunteers (PCVs) have the unique opportunity to participate in a variety of activities vital to the preservation of the native flora of New England, including
Rare Plant Monitoring--Survey populations of endangered plant species to help provide critical information used by local, state, and federal land managers to make important conservation and habitat-management decisions. Seed Collection--Learn how to collect seeds from imperiled species to send to Native Plant Trust’s Seed Bank to preserve the genetic diversity of New England’s flora into the future. Habitat Management--Help fight the loss of natural communities affected by development, invasive species, and succession by identifying new threats and participating in organized management projects.
PCV MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS You have opportunity to visit some of the most diverse and unique natural communities in New England, many of which may not be accessed by the general public. You may join special field trips led by professional botanists throughout New England every year, which offer training in identification, ecology, and conservation in the field. You have free access to select botanical courses offered by Native Plant Trust. You will also have the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing your part to help prevent the extinction or extirpation of New England’s rarest species.
QUALIFICATIONS New applicants should have some botanical knowledge, a commitment to native plant conservation, good observation skills, a sense of adventure, and their own transportation.