Preserving Native Plants & Wetlands

Delicious autumn weather has scampered in on the ravaged path of Ike. Once the surge waters receded into their gulf-ish waterbed, Southwest Louisiana was able to fluff out her prairie grasses and fan her wetlands and bask in the September quiet and sun.

We were happy to bask with her.

Our homeschool 4-H group was asked to help maintain the native plant gardens in Lake Charles, LA this school year. As part of the Louisiana Native Plant Initiative, our duties are to: "weed plants, harvest and clean seeds", thus helping protect and preserve native plants and our Louisiana wetlands. We met today at the local university farm site.

Miss C.C. gave us instructions on handling the plants and weeds and discussed Louisiana prairies with the children and adults.

One great thing about homeschooling is that the grown-ups are almost always included in the learning experience as well.

Then Miss C.C. instructed us to pick-up our buckets and get to work.

Is she serious?

(Guess whose child is running from the pack?)

Buckets in hand...(Guess whose child is wiping her sweaty brow?)

Seed harvesting in Rattlesnake Alley

Harvesting some Wild Rose Mallow

Shaking seeds into the bucket

Little workers working together. (I cannot begin to tell you how happy these little Cloverbud friends were to see one another after a whole summer off.)

One, two, three, pull...

Four, five, six, pull...

This reminds me of the folktale of the farmer, his turnip, and the tiny mouse.

More picking in Rattlesnake Meadow

Nothing better than a refreshing water break.

Getting instructions on how to clean and shift the seeds.

We got to see some little gators getting a bath too.

Anyone ever heard of Rattlesnake Master?

Interesting facts about what the Indians used this plant for.

Jim Arnosky and Crinkleroot would be so proud of us.