Alpine WildSeed
About Us
The term "us" in "About Us" is here defined as me and my camaraderie of native plants in wilderness.
My (our) mission is to provide an ecological and sustainable alternative of native floral services to support private and public nurseries and industry in their efforts to embrace wildland reclamation.
My reclamation with native plants began in 1981 while employeed with the US Forest Service as a backcountry ranger. Among other things, I was responsible for documenting (via photo transects) the decline of vegetation in camping areas around our alpine lakes. This eventually led to early reclamation projects in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. I was involved in some of the first reclamation projects utilizing native plants in the northwest.
I believe it can be stated that genotypical seed source began with the concept of wilderness. Wilderness by definitiion is a concept where the land is unaltered by humankind. This is particularly true in the reclamation of recreationally damaged areas. Our reveg plans required that we collect seed, plugs and strips of grass from adjacent meadows to insure we were not introducing genetic materials from outside the area. We utilized jute netting composed of natural biodegradable materials and collected seed from adjacent meadows. Plugs and strips of sod were dug and replanted across eroded horse and hiker treads and in hardened camping pads that were located too close to the lake shores. Much of the work I did in those days is apparent today in the Enchantment Lakes Basin, Stuart Lake, Colchuck Lake and Frosty Pass.
In 1990, I left the US Forest Service for a more financially rewarding career in Computer Science (of which I also hold a formal degree). After working in the health care and manufacturing industry, I eventually became a senior consultant to Fortune 100 clients in the Seattle metro area working as a "dot com" developer for the aerospace and banking industries. At the end of the "dot com" era, I thought about giving some of my success and knowledge back to my original roots in wilderness preservation and sustainability. With the very serious environmental issues we face today, it has now become my sole and only goal in life.
As a sole proprietor, I started Alpine WildSeed in the year 2000. I became disenchanted with myself and the larger professional world in which I was engaged as a programmer. I have since re-established my roots in agriculture and small business. I have grown in the interim four years and now offer seeds to a limited number of client nurseries, farmers, and universities. I have no financial interest in becoming a larger corporation as my goal has been to establish and promote a more holistic business relationship with my clients.
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The involucel of Lomatium
macrocarpum (x60). Note the
long wavy hairs.
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As an example, I welcome my clients on my trips to survey and in the future I hope to establish a summer gathering of native plant professionals for forums, BBQ and entertainment here in the central part of Washington State. My goal in this regard is to help promote a sense of family in the circles of ecology and sustainability.
There is more to native seeds than sales and I fear a large corporate and largely financial influence would tend to erode my true ecological concerns and a sustained effort to promote genotypical native seed. As with the care of my plant communities, my philosophy is one of managed, contained and sustained growth. I strive to think in the long term rather than the short term. The greatest gift in life, the most challenging path to follow, is to be successful in striving to give rather than taking for ourselves.
Alpine Wildseed strives to achieve reasonable pricing but many times cannot compete with the larger firms that farm and mechanically harvest their seed. Nor can I compete with transient work crews (which I do not employee). Note however that there is a need of cultivated and mechanized production of native seeds and I encourage my clients to utilize those sources when appropriate. However my niche has been genotypical and unique species. My seed generally has a greater genetic diversity, fewer if any weed species, and is evaluated for health and stand sustainability before collections are made. As the sole owner of the business, I do all my own field collections as well as the administrative side and lab work here at my home. Ultimately, I hope that our efforts contribute to a greater sense and ecological concern in business and our way of life.
Kenneth James Boettger
The author on a range analysis and reclamation project in the Kittitas Valley.
Alpine WildSeed
1308 N. Alder #1
Ellensburg, WA 98926
509 933-3063
knarly@upickers.com
The tiny adult frog in the image at the top of this page was 1cm in length and found in a very small intermittent alpine pool surrounded by sedges at 4,000 feet elevation, Cascade Crest, Washington State.
Copyright 2003-2007. InfraData. All rights reserved.
