Volunteer Kathy Young, with son Philip along for the ride, sows savanna seed mixes at the Illinois Raptor Center.

Seed is mixed with moist vermiculite a material used to "carry" the seed. Many seeds are very small, and a large number of them could be sown in a small area by accident. Vermiculite helps volunteers spread the seed evenly.

Diary of a Restoration

11th Installment, May 30, 2004

One of the last jobs scheduled this spring for our habitat restoration was to scatter seed for a savanna reconstruction. Savannas are the areas where prairies and oaks come together to form open, park-like woodlands.

Some parts of the savanna were reseeded. Other parts, where native plants were already growing are being managed with fire. Some bare root plants were introduced this spring as well.

After sowing, seeds are raked into the soil.

Seeds for the half acre project were purchased with the help of a grant from the Illinois Conservation Foundation. This project would not be possible without the generous help from a variety of partners.

Work this fall will include further control of invasive species and the planting of 20 additional hardwood trees in the floodplain.