Plastic is causing big problems around us. Only today, BBC reported on an article in the journal NatureGeoscience, microplastics (tiny pieces of degraded plastic) can travel regularly 60 miles, or more. Scientists tested a very rural area in the Pyrenees, 75 miles from the nearest city, finding “that each day an average of 365 tiny plastic fragments or fibers settled on every square meter of land.”

In order to contribute to the solution, NS/S is replacing the plastic bags in our wildflower packets with glassine bags. 

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Spring, summer, and fall, Native Seeds/SEARCH awards up to 30 packets of seed to programs and community projects that focus on education, food security, and community development through our Community Seed Grant (CSG) Program and was recently invited to tour the school garden of one recipient. View Post

For this year’s tepary bean Adopt-A-Crop, we deepened our commitment to the future of this perfect plant by partnering with farmers to grow the beans in their fields and in or near the seeds’ communities of origin. We see an agricultural future where the seeds in this collection are once again grown in fields and served at meals, and the work with farmers this season helped us to see what success really looks like even when harvests fail. View Post

Some days, our work at NS/S is mundane: data entry, weeding, grant writing. Other days, we are viscerally reminded that what we do touches deep into the past, and can rekindle connections with those long gone, whose work and effort we may have forgotten –or never known. I have a story about one of these connections. View Post

By Laura Neff, NS/S Education Assistant. Tomatoes are not only one of the most popular garden veggies to grow, but the experience of saving their seeds is a unique one that won’t soon to be forgotten. The whole production is a tactile and olfactory wonder. These tasty nightshades are “double di... View Post

With summer obviously in full swing in Tucson, this seems like a perfect time for an update on our Adopt-a-Crop tepary beans! These low-desert survivors thrive in the monsoon season and show that the monsoons are a season of abundance, which can reward working hot, muggy mornings with cooling greenery and nutritious, fresh foods. View Post

In the desert Southwest, much of our attention is focused on water. When we tell people from outside the region that our annual rainfall ranges between 6-10 inches we are met with looks of disbelief. Annual rainfall in my hometown in Nebraska is three times that amount, not to mention the moisture from snow. As aridlands gardeners and farmers it is our responsibility to use our limited water wisely – both for the health and wellness of the crops but also for environmental conservation. Not to mention the benefits to your monthly water bill. Following a few simple tips will use water wisely in your garden. View Post

THE BEES OF SUMMER: WHO TO LOOK FOR IN DESERT GARDENS AND WILD SPACES By Bill McGuire, Board Member.  It's National Pollinator Week, everyone! So, it's time to call out our native bee species. While the Sonoran Desert summer is a challenging time, desert native bees and introduced Western honey b... View Post