Community Corner
Big Bear Greenthumbs Seek Volunteers
The U.S. Forest Service is recruiting volunteers to help with ecological projects around Big Bear Lake for the spring and summer months.
The U.S. Forest Service is seeking volunteers of all ages who enjoy working outdoors and have an interest in working in the greenhouse and out on the Forest in our native plant restoration program.
Since the early 1990s, the Greenthumbs Volunteer Program on the San Bernardino National Forest has actively help restore disturbed lands across hundreds of acres of the Mountaintop Ranger District.
Volunteers manage the Native Plant Nursery at the Big Bear Ranger Station, which, through private grant funds, has grown and out-planted thousands of native plants to benefit habitat for wildlife and federally listed plants and animals, and to improve watershed conditions on the National Forest. The nursery has a commercial-size greenhouse, a lathe house and a seed storage facility.
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Volunteers learn a variety of nursery activities such as seed collection, germination, plant propagation, site preparation, weed removal and out-planting of potted materials. Activities vary from month to month as the seasons and weather change.
Once a month, on the third Saturday of each month (March through October), volunteers assist in conducting ecological restoration projects in the Big Bear Ranger Station Native Plant Nursery and around the Big Bear Valley on the San Bernardino National Forest. Work includes seed collection and germination, native plant propagation, noxious weed removal, and out-planting on the forest.
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Greenthumbs days are planned for March 17, April 21, May 19, June 16, July 21, August 18, September 15, and October 20th, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Greenthumbs also sponsor a National Public Lands Day event on September 22. Lunch will be provided to all that participate in the event.
If you would like to be involved, contact Linda Stamer at at lstamer@fs.fed.us or call (909) 382-2824 for additional information or check out their website at: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/sanbernardino/greenthumbs.
The Big Bear Ranger Station is located at 42300 North Shore/Hwy 38 in Fawnskin, ¼ mile east of the Big Bear Discovery Center.
For additional information about the San Bernardino National Forest, please visit: http://www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf