From January through September, Hiawatha National Forest will be hosting workshops where volunteers will seed, pull weeds, and transplant native plants.
The federal government has a plan to restore Grand Island, and volunteers are already stepping in to help. This year the island received $133,000 from the federal government to reintroduce native plants to the landscape.
“The total project will have about 35,000 native plants, mostly wildflowers, that will favor for species like the monarch butterfly,” said Deb LeBlanc, Plant Ecologist of the Hiawatha National Forest.
From January through September, Hiawatha National Forest will be hosting workshops where volunteers will seed, pull weeds, and transplant native plants.
“It's land stewardship and it's getting folks to actually get hands-on in helping to restore degraded lands,” LeBlanc added.
The goal of the project is to preserve the island's natural resources and rich history. And by reintroducing native plants, organizers believe native wildlife will also return to the region.
Superior Watershed Partnership will also be lending a hand in the project, hiring close to a dozen workers from the Marquette community.
Carl Lindquist, Executive Director of the Superior Watershed Partnership, hired the workers and believes the project is a good investment.
“Being an island, the restoration has a much better chance of being maintained for the long run, more of a permanent restoration,” explained Lindquist.
Organizers plan to monitor the land and track their success after the project has been completed. They hope to learn more efficient ways of restoring degraded landscapes.
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