[SOS-PCA] December 2022 Call Notes

Wed Dec 7 11:43:09 CST 2022

Hello everyone, below are the notes from the last SOS collector call. Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Thanks for a great 2022 season, and I look forward to working with you all in 2023!

Cheers,
Sarah Hill

SOS National Curator

National Office Announcements

  *   Sarah Hill has her BLM email, send all SOS related queries to sehill at blm.gov

  *   DATA IS DUE DECEMBER 15, send all end of the year documents to sehill at blm.gov

  *   There will be a new call invite going out for 2023, so if you want to be on that list, make sure Sarah H knows you are collecting in 2023 or otherwise want to be on the list.

  *   Tell anyone interested to subscribe to the SOS listserv - lots of seed collector hiring announcements will be going out over the winter!

  *   Training - We are still planning our 2023 trainings, both virtual and in person. More details about training events will follow
     *   Virtual : Feb 23/24 - Open to anyone involved in the SOS program
     *   In person, Boise NTC: Some time the week of April 17th - number of participants and who should attend the in-person training is still TBD.

  *   The small change to recollections in the protocol. Recollections will go from having 1,000 seeds taken out for long term storage to 3,000 seeds. Updated 2023 protocol will be available in January.

  *   There will be no January call. First call of 2023 will be February 7.

Bend Updates

  *   Send in your seeds by December 15! Bend has about 450 collections sent in right now, and have the capacity to take the rest of the collections that were planned for 2022.
     *   Don't forget the shake test! If seeds fall out when you shake the package, they will fall out during shipping!

  *   Bend is prioritizing cleaning lots with clearance forms first. If you want your seeds back send in a clearance form to Sarah H by January 30th 2023.

Smithsonian Updates

  *   Shipping moratorium until Jan 3, 2023. DO NOT SEND HERBARIUM VOUCHERS UNTIL AFTER JAN 3.
     *   Many staff in the shipping office are out on holiday throughout the month, and we do not want specimens to sit around undelivered.
  *   Make sure specimens are going to the right address - several packages have been sent to the wrong place. All the information you need for shipping, including the addresses for FedEx services or for USPS are on page 5 of the Guide to Herbarium Specimens for SOS document.
     *   Find the guide on the SOS national website or directly at this address: https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2021-10/Guide%20to%20Herbarium%20Specimens%20for%20SOS.pdf

  *   Erica Gardner will be in the office all month if you have any further questions
     *   202.633.0936, gardnere at si.edu

2022 Season Highlights / Lessons learned / End of season tips

During the call folks shared some of their the highlights and lessons learned from the 2022 season:

  *   Collecting seed during drought times is difficult
  *   Being able to offer housing for seasonal staff would be wonderful
  *   Reading all the instructions for where/how to send your materials is important!
  *   Finding a really nice population of Prosopis pubescens, and being able to make a collection
  *   Good tires make all the difference
  *   A crew got to go to a conference about fire, and when someone found out they were native seed collectors, thanked them and said the nation depended on their work!
  *   Make time for early season scouting! You might get bogged down with lots of other responsibilities during the spring, but prioritizing some field scouting can be invaluable.
  *   Done treating seeds but still have a powerful No Pest strip? Folks have had success re-using a strip by triple bagging it in ziplock bags and then storing it inside a latching bin (in a location where there won't be a bunch of people, of course) until the next season.
  *   GPS coordinates are nice, but there is something special about a highly visible and well placed pin flag to mark a hard to re-find population. Just remember to pick them up!
  *   First year collection team said they were initially intimidated by the SOS protocol, but it was actually pretty easy to follow
  *   Using aerial imaging for pre-trip scouting can be really helpful, especially in habitats that make bushwhacking a challenge

Sarah Hill

she/her/hers

Seeds Of Success National Curator
Bureau of Land Management - contractor

Currently working from home - contact me for my cell #

Seeds of Success<https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/native-plant-communities/native-plant-and-seed-material-development/collection>

National Seed Strategy<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blm.gov%2Fprograms%2Fnatural-resources%2Fnative-plant-communities%2Fnational-seed-strategy&data=05%7C01%7Csehill%40blm.gov%7Cc50639f5199a469b479908dad6fd3db6%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C638058680388735265%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bYbcjgyrw%2BHSoBxB1bt80zsPu3yghnSeYs6j1YUie9M%3D&reserved=0>

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