PADDLIN FOR THE POLLINATORS
BOATanical Expeditions
Join us in ecologically restoring riparian corridors with truly local native seeds & plants - we all have a role to play in caretaking the wonderful wilds!
Sefra is the Lead BOATanist of The BOATanical Expeditions "paddling for the pollinators." As a Member International of The Explorers Club and the Explorer in Residence of the Associate Board of WINGS WorldQuest, Sefra promotes the concept of "Backyard Expeditions," that empower citizen scientists to caretake their local wild lands in creative ways.
The goal is simple: find a vessel, assemble a crew, gather truly local native plants grown by farmers & nursery partners of The Ecotype Project, then on sites you have gained permission to regeneratively restore - put the plants back in the living seed bank- the soil! Together we support native ecosystem health, support our local pollinators and ensure local food security throughout ecoregion 59, 58 & 84. Now that the plants are there, nature will use its myriad dispersal mechanisms to regenerate the ancient banks of the mighty river!
Quinnehtukqut River Expeditions
* the name Connecticut comes from an Algonquian term Quinnehtukqut describing the unceded lands of the "long tidal river"
2020: We paddled the Vermont / New Hampshire Section with hundreds of ecotypic plants
2021: We navigated from the top of Connecticut to the Long Island Sound- spreading the seeds of ecological resilience in traditional Polynesian style outrigger canoes
Cockenoe Island Expeditions
2022: THE GREAT-ER (ecological restoration) RACE - removing invasive plants from Cockenoe Island and planting salt tolerant native pollinator plants
2023: Save Cockenoe! Formed a committee to cary on invasive plant removal and continue establishing native plant populations
2024: THE MINUTE WOMEN MILE TO FIGHT OFF MILE-A-MINUTE! Focused on Persicaria perfoliata (Mile-a-Minute) removal
Hudson River Expeditions
2025: Plant Pirates! Removed thousands of pounds of the invasive water chestnut - Trapa natans - to support the ecological health of the river habitat near the Saugerties, NY lighthouse.
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By removing these ecologically disruptive plants and replacing them with the "heirlooms of the pollinators," we can help to steward the lands around us- providing habitat & food for all the inhabitants of the local ecosystems.
