Adopt a Highway

Conservation Seeding & Restoration adopts a highway: Hwy 93, mile marker 0 – 2.

CSR welcomes you to Idaho!!!

7,000 Sagebrush Seedlings, WY Game & Fish

Sagebrush planting project for the Wyoming Game and Fish: 7,000 sagebrush seedlings installed in 94 different planting locations within a 50,000 acre wildfire area southeast of Worland, WY.

Each planting area has an 8 X 8 ft. long, 48 in. panel around the sagebrush to reduce predation on the young sagebrush plants. Since the location is in a cheatgrass and other non-native vegetation dominated landscape, weed barrier fabric was also placed in each planting area.

This planting project will provide a seed source for the natural re-establishment of sagebrush to benefit pronghorn, mule deer and sage grouse.

Native Plant Focus: Betula occidentalis, Water birch

Water Birch in the CSR Greenhouse.

Water birch growing at the CSR Farm.

Native Plant Focus: Betula occidentalis, Water birch

Water birch or mountain birch is a 20-30 ft., multi-trunked tree with shiny, reddish-brown bark. Its delicate, graceful appearance is created by slender, spreading, pendulous branches. Shrub or small tree with rounded crown of spreading and drooping branches, usually forming clumps and often in thickets. The red color of the branches and twigs creates the same winter effect as red-twigged dogwoods. The small, deciduous leaves are bright green above and yellow-green beneath becoming bright yellow in fall. Sheep and goats browse the foliage.

This uncommon but widespread species is the only native birch in the Southwest and the southern Rocky Mountains. (Lady Bird Johnson)

Overwintering Native Plants at the CSR Nursery

Rocky Mountain Native Plants, CSR’s Nursery Facility located in Rifle Colorado, has begun settling native plants in for the winter months ahead.

The Canyon Maple: Showy Autumn Foliage

(photo: Scott Catron)

Canyon, or Bigtooth,  maple (Acer grandidentatum) is a shrubby or somewhat tree-like maple, this species usually matures at 10-15 ft. but is sometimes taller. Its bark is dark brown and scaly and is branches are stout and erect. The thickish, three- to five-lobed deciduous leaves turn bright red and gold in the fall. Small to medium-sized tree with short trunk and spreading, rounded, dense crown; often a shrub. The scientific name, meaning large-toothed, refers to the leaves. The showy autumn foliage makes it suitable as an ornamental. (Lady Bird Johnson)

CSR Celebrates GIS Day 2011

The CSR GIS Team visited a local 4th grade classroom this week in celebration of GIS Day 2011.  As with last year, students participated in an activity based on the building of an imaginary dam across the Snake River, highlighting both the anthropogenic benefits a dam provides and the environmental consequences of building a dam.

CSR’s GIS Team is adept at providing consulting, remote sensing analysis, field data collection, map production, web mapping, and federal reporting. Site and goal specific services are also available to clients, such as identification of weed infestations, precise tracking of restoration activities, and custom database development.

Native Plant Windbreaks

Southern ID CSR Farm Facility

Owl’s claw

Spreadingpod rockcress

Sulphur-flower Buckwheat

The Southern ID CSR  Farm facility entrance was made our own last week by the installation of native plants. Come spring 2012, this native plant bed will be welcoming birds, butterflies, and pollinators . This 15 acre farm, formerly Jaykers Nursery, was purchased by CSR in 2010.

Native plants installed: Sulphur-flower Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum), Blue flax (Linum lewisii), Fringed sage (Artemisia frigida), Owl’s claw (Hymenoxys hoopesii), Colorado Blue Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea), Mock Orange (ID State Flower) (Philadelphus lewisii), Mountain hollyhock (Iliamna rivularis), Spreadingpod rockcress (Arabis ×divaricarpa), Slender cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis) and Sticky Purple Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum).

Installing Straw Wattles in WY

This P&A (plug & abandon) well site was seeded late October with a native seed mix. Due to recontouring of the road, straw wattles were installed to prevent erosion to the slope.

Straw Wattles are woven mesh netting filled with straw or hay and sometimes seed mixes, used to trap sediment and promote infiltration. They are permeable barriers used to detain surface runoff long enough to reduce flow velocity. Their main purpose is to break up slope length.(source)

In spring 2012, the CSR Team will apply liquid amendments, monitor for new seed growth, and conduct erosion control. Weed management on this restoration site will also be implemented throughout the summer.

112th Christmas Bird Count

Photo credit: Elaine R. Wilson, (Nature’s Pics)

“From December 14 through January 5 tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission – often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.”

Click here to learn more and to participate in this year’s annual Christmas Bird Count.