Students at the Toledo Public Schools Nature Science Technology Center start a lot of the seeds in flats, and other schools house them in greenhouses. Clay High School, West Side Montessori, Evergreen High School, Sylvania Southview, Penta County Vocational School, Lourdes College and other schools contribute to the ongoing project in some way. Many of the schools also visit Blue Creek to assist in the garden. "We couldn't do it without the schools, Wagner said. "If we didn't have them growing for us, we'd be stuck."
Metroparks also couldn't sustain the program without the volunteers who help collect the seed in the wild - 200 pounds of seed in 2004. The native seed nursury flourishes thanks to the volunteer seed gatherers.See the Program section of the website for seed gathering programs in September and October of each year. To organize a seed collection or to participate in a program requiring reservations, call 419-407-9700. Land managers follow a "70-30" policy for collecting seed, leaving 30 percent for natural reproduction. Much of what's collected is used to directly seed new areas and the rest goes into the nursery to produce more seed. "What's nice about seed collecting is it's so quiet and peaceful. Sometimes, you're in grass taller than you are" Wagner said. "And anyone can help. We had a mother who brought a four-year-old. He collected more than I did."
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