[PCA] The Native Grasslands Alliance will be launched June 6 on National Prairie Day!

[De Angelis, Patricia]

The Native Grasslands Alliance (NGA) includes organizations whose core missions depend in part or wholly on the restoration of native grasslands vegetation on agricultural/working landscapes, and who want to pool their voices to amplify their message to federal/state lawmakers and agencies, the agriculture education sector, and key citizen and non-profit conservation groups across the country. The NGA will coordinate to expand awareness, acceptance and adoption of native grasslands vegetation into public and private working and recreational lands, where practicable.



This week, they will feature several of their partners via email and social media. Follow along on Facebook<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nSx3zeVK3uwmijbqPNMrn_JhXfs8FEoWZNLuyW3l2D7Twe7bv0wg53tglVzaUmbHAzAnN-EeXTDHN9v8B9iTijSq_F1dPA9ylNahnJ6yMPyL2y0U_ssAENOIiQ1gySTkYTOw76dod7LJPqRzsXw1XHWBu_L3-4Z-UIwyTLwabu70cGZs-aecxA==&c=OGZ32OoorMl3c67giFwRXd8qVI77S60AzB_jXLCXF3SY3lhyrgsCzA==&ch=XOYNXylpIwHHUajSVRTWwXCBqN8RzMVfjLT3b8b_u6RG6KKaZp1RYw==>, Twitter<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nSx3zeVK3uwmijbqPNMrn_JhXfs8FEoWZNLuyW3l2D7Twe7bv0wg53tglVzaUmbHXAoxIngZGGNhVzxFgtiFQRmeLmIo1TmXOncoDZ52CuntOwV5knqqM3hyJmjRZYkAgBybKrrfoXNFQhXKMcZYJeOYYeiChNYM&c=OGZ32OoorMl3c67giFwRXd8qVI77S60AzB_jXLCXF3SY3lhyrgsCzA==&ch=XOYNXylpIwHHUajSVRTWwXCBqN8RzMVfjLT3b8b_u6RG6KKaZp1RYw==>, and Instagram<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nSx3zeVK3uwmijbqPNMrn_JhXfs8FEoWZNLuyW3l2D7Twe7bv0wg53tglVzaUmbHtPNEeVVKoYmOJTOkLepioUBjmr9cRdxWccCRL7Kh4W_Mqi31SOb5AZZuSBJBZbP_Vy1pwZjlHcsW0yza_mVQiPrUb4AFRAJc_yKXOW1CeBoGkRs6h1hGJw==&c=OGZ32OoorMl3c67giFwRXd8qVI77S60AzB_jXLCXF3SY3lhyrgsCzA==&ch=XOYNXylpIwHHUajSVRTWwXCBqN8RzMVfjLT3b8b_u6RG6KKaZp1RYw==> and tell them why you’re a #NativeGrasslandsAlly! See links to more information and how to become involved, below.



Several partners in the Native Grasslands Alliance are Plant Conservation Alliance Cooperators!



Grasslands Coordinator Jef Hodges, of the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI), has been leading efforts to raise awareness of the value of native vegetation for water quality, air quality, soil health and conservation, wildlife and well-being. NBCI is a science and habitat-based initiative of the National Bobwhite Technical Committee to elevate bobwhite quail recovery from an individual state-by-state proposition to a coordinated, range-wide leadership endeavor to restore wild bobwhites on a landscape scale. NBCI efforts have demonstrated that a landscape-scale approach using native vegetation overwhelmingly improves breeding and non-breeding bobwhite populations. Such science-based efforts reaffirm the value of using native plants for native wildlife.



The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative is a collaboration of leaders in international biodiversity conservation led by the Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence for Field Biology. Co-founded in 2017 by Theo Witsell and Dwayne Estes, the initiative strives to address the multitude of complex issues facing Southeastern grasslands, the most imperiled terrestrial ecosystems in eastern North America. They focus on a 23-state region in the southeast, but the impact reaches far beyond, as functionally restored native grassland ecosystems are vitally important to water quality, soil health, carbon storage, protection in drought, grazing lands, and wildlife and pollinator habitat.



Ernst Conservation Seeds is the largest native seed producer and supplier in the eastern United States and was founded by Calvin Ernst in 1964 with a mission to make available to eastern North America the key native and naturalized species of plants for restoration, reclamation, conservation, wildlife and pollinator habitat enhancement, renewable biomass energy and the beautification of our nation. They grow, process and sell hundreds of species of native and naturalized seeds and live plant materials, propagated on more than 9,000 acres in northwestern Pennsylvania.



Since 2011 The National Wildlife Federation,(NWF) has hosted the biennial “America’s Grasslands Conference<http://www.nwf.org/grasslandsconference>”, featuring the latest research, management, and conservation topics on North American grasslands, including pollinator habitat issues. NWF has also advocated for increased funding and improved policies for pollinator habitat in the federal Farm Bill and have helped six state departments of transportation along interstate 35 develop an outreach effort called the Monarch Highway. Since 1973, approximately 3 million acres of habitat has been restored through National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife<https://www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife> program. Garden for Wildlife’s signature program, Certified Wildlife Habitats® <https://www.nwf.org/certify> has reached approximately 250,000 sites, encompassing backyards, gardens, and community spaces. These areas support and protect the future of birds, bees, butterflies, and other amazing wildlife. No matter their age or location, anyone can participate with almost immediate results — potentially doubling the numbers of diverse local wildlife<https://www.nwf.org/sitecore/content/Home/Garden-for-Wildlife/About/Impact>. National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder<https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/>, provides host plant lists by zipcode to support the highest number of butterflies and moths and other insects to feed local birds and other wildlife. Contacts: Grasslands:KnuffmanL at NWF.org, Garden for Wildife:Phillipsm at NWF.org



The Missouri Prairie Foundation founded National Prairie Day in 2016!



It is held each year on the first Saturday in June. It's a day to enhance public awareness and value of prairies, and motivate and inspire support of prairie conservation, restoration, and enjoyment. This year's National Prairie Day will be held on June 6.



LINKS:

Native Grasslands Alliance website: https://nativegrasslandsalliance.org/

Native Grasslands Alliance Press Release: https://files.constantcontact.com/1bb864d2101/c98914de-36f7-4155-82c7-461ac7355ba9.pdf

- Facebook: Native Grasslands Alliance

- Twitter: #nativegrasslands

To join, have an organizational representative visit https://nativegrasslandsalliance.org/nga-home/nga-joinus/



Plant Conservation Alliance Cooperators: http://www.plantconservationalliance.org/cooperators

National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative: https://bringbackbobwhites.org/

Southeastern Grasslands Initiative: https://www.segrasslands.org/

Ernst Conservation Seeds: https://www.ernstseed.com/

National Wildlife Federation: https://www.nwf.org/



National Prairie Day: https://nationalprairieday.org/visit-a-prairie/

Missouri Prairie Foundation: https://www.moprairie.org/

(pardon cross postings)
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