The first obvious question is, “How will this project aid our country that is feeling in such disarray?.”
The simple answer to my question is that everyone can participate and the natural world is void of partisanship. People can even create their own project i.e. a particular block or park or section of a walking path. People working on a joint project engenders non-controversial conversation. Something we can all use right now.
Since it is winter and plants have gone to sleep, why would anyone be interested in joining EcoFlora now?!!
1) Before spring, explore past EcoQuest Challenges (https://www.nybg.org/plant-research-and-conservation/center-for-conservation-strategy/ecoquest-challenge/)
2) Download the iNaturalist app and explore its possibilities.
3) Create a local iNaturalist group with your neighbors and children. This can be done within a single apartment house or just a particular block.
I loved it.
“Look out for them and gather some of the seeds!” Where & When? Be they easy to germinate?
I just gather the seed from the feet of the mother trees in the fall (by then the stinky covering has disappeared). I put them into a sealed plastic bag with a wettish (damp really) paper towel and wait for them to germinate. You can also cut a small opening into the shell with a clipper to make it easier for the root and leaf to emerge. I’ve done it both ways. Within a week or two you should see germination. I then vent the bag a little so no mold starts growing. Once the root and leaf seem have clearly emerged I plant the seedling in regular potting soil. Good light is always a good thing.
There seems to be a glitch here. The person who replied to Ira is the blogger, Sura Jeselsohn.