Native Seeds for Native Americans Program

March 7, 2008

The San Diego Zoo's Beckman Center for Conservation Research is teaming up with the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians to create a unique effort sponsored by The Burpee Foundation to restore and revitalize the tribe's traditional ecological knowledge of native plants and their uses. The partnership, called Burpee's Native Seeds for Native Americans Program, will join the expertise of scientists from the San Diego Zoo with the experience and knowledge of tribal members to create outreach efforts that educate and empower tribal youth about their cultural and environmental heritage.

"The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park is devoted not only to preserving animal species but also plant species," said Bryan Endress, Ph.D., associate director of applied plant ecology for the Zoo. "We value the contribution of native people's ecological knowledge to address global conservation issues including the sustainable management of native ecosystems."

The Burpee native seeds program supports a model educational project blending traditional and current knowledge systems for the conservation of cultural and biological diversity. The rich curriculum makes the knowledge of tribal elders accessible to today's youth and future generations. Sharing cultural knowledge and appreciation helps preserve native plants and indigenous culture. Through the program, tribal interns will learn to identify local native plants, discover stories on how these plants have been used, and explore the connections between native plants and wildlife. Resources and expertise from the Native Seed Gene Bank will be used to teach methods of seed collection, cleaning, and propagation, while the more than 1,000 acres of native habitat preserved at the Wild Animal Park, the traditional land of the San Pasqual Band, will be utilized to teach ecological research tools and methods crucial for native plant restoration and management. Burpee's Native Seeds for Native Americans Program will also support a Kumeyaay-based native plant education program at the Park for guests and students.

"The program is beneficial on multiple levels," states Natalia Orosco, program manager for the education department of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians. "Native plant restoration is crucial for our environment and, culturally, the plants are an important component of our heritage. The plant knowledge and teachings are valuable for the preservation of our culture."

Supporting this program is a natural for Burpee, one of the largest seed growers in the United States, as it seeks to preserve heirloom plant species important to Native Americans. "Native cultures are like seeds. They have to be preserved and passed to future generations," said George Ball, president of The Burpee Foundation. "Burpee is proud to work with the San Diego Zoo to carry on this California tradition."