Virtual Talk: Ecological Restoration, Native Seeds & Home Gardening

Submitted by the Branford Land Trust and Branford Conservation & Environment Commission:

BRANFORD, CT — As we endeavor to steward the ecological resources in our gardens, farms, and open space, putting the “right plant in the right place” is of critical importance for biodiversity. Come learn how we can best support our local land with plant material to foster that biodiversity.

Dina Brewster, founder of The Ecotype Project and owner of a restoration seed company, presents “Ecological Restoration, Local Native Seeds, and Home Gardening,” a virtual talk on Wednesday, October 18, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yckaarpm.

The 45-minute talk will explore best practices with plants in home gardens and ecological restoration, including the availability of ecotypic seeds for use in restoration projects throughout the Northeast. We’ll learn about Ecotypes and Ecoregions, with plenty of time for Q&A after the presentation. It will also be recorded and made available for future viewing.

Dina Brewster has been a full-time farmer since 2005. She founded The Hickories as a one-acre vegetable garden and has overseen the development of new products and new acreage as the farm has grown to a 45-acre certified organic fruit, vegetable, cut flower, livestock, and restoration seed company.

Committed to connecting people with working land, Dina chose to return to her family’s farm in Ridgefield and start the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program, one that still exists as the backbone of the farm’s business. She served as the Executive Director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (CT NOFA) from 2019-2022.

Dina believes we have a responsibility to increase the economic vitality of our regional agrarian economy, improve the long-range ecological stewardship of our land, and enliven our cultural commitment to farming. Her most recent work, founding The Ecotype Project and becoming a seed farmer for the native plants from this region, has helped to catalyze the formation of the Northeast Seed Network of the Native Plant Trust, a collaborative effort for the development of a native seed supply chain in the Northeast.

Her talk is presented by the Branford Conservation and Environment Commission and the Branford Land Trust in partnership with the Blackstone Memorial Library. It is one in a 3-part series on ecological restoration and ecotypic seeds.

Watch for details on upcoming events that include a Seed Discovery Walk on Saturday, October 28 at Jarvis Creek Farm with Dan Brubaker, Conservation Outreach Manager at the Greenwich Land Trust, and a Winter Seed Sowing for Native Plants Workshop on Saturday, November 4, 11-12pm, presented by Ivy Kim, a Branford gardener who helped create the Seed Library at the Blackstone Library.

All three events are free and open to the public. To register for the virtual talk, go to
https://tinyurl.com/yckaarpm. For more information, visit www.branfordlandtrust.org or
https://events.blackstonelibrary.org/events/month.

The Branford Conservation and Environment Commission is a group of volunteers who
serve an advisory role to the Board of Selectmen and the Representative Town Meeting
regarding conservation of our Town’s natural resources. The Commission maintains an
inventory of Open Space and periodically updates a Natural Resources Inventory, which
is currently underway. Additionally, the Commission may investigate the source and
nature of pollution within the Town. For more information, visit Branford Conservation
and Environment Commission at branford-ct.gov.

The Branford Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, accredited by the Land
Trust Alliance, established in 1967 to protect Branford’s open space and natural resources. Run by volunteers and supported by member families and businesses, the Land Trust maintains more than 30 miles of hiking trails, and manages and protects over 1,000 acres in more than 130 parcels and holds conservation easements on another 400 acres in Branford. For more information, visit www.branfordlandtrust.org.