Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/554714
58 www.resourceworld.com a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 5 T he people at NATS Nursery believe that "Successful land reclamation is the most effective argument in growing public support for mining and resource extraction proj- ects." They are native plant specialists who have, for 27 years, gathered seeds and a very specialized body of knowledge. Haley Argen, Starter Plant Sales and Ron Jacobson, Marketing Manager of NATS Nursery, showed me around the 30-acre nurs- ery and propagation facility in Langley, British Columbia. There is a lot more to growing seedlings than putting a seed in the ground and watering it. Argen explained that some native plants need to go through seasonal temperature cycles before they will break out of dormancy. The collection and storing pro- cess for plant species can vary from region to region, even for the same plant. The seeds need to be properly collected, cleaned and stored to ensure their viability. Haley showed me the seed bank where seeds are stored and some seeds are propagated. It's a bit chilly in the seed bank, which is what some seeds require before they come to life. Once the seed has sprouted, it goes through several steps before it can be transported back to its original home and planted. The fragile young plant begins life in a greenhouse where the tem- perature and moisture levels are carefully regulated to suit its particular species. It is moved to progressively less regulated green houses, where it is "hardened" or toughened to the point where it can live outside tolerating full sun, drying wind and seasonal temperature changes. NATS many greenhouses are filled with the ferns, grasses and plants found in Canada and some parts of the US. They carry a large inventory of material native to the Pacific Northwest, the Northern regions (BC, Alberta, the Yukon, the NWT and Nunavut) and the Prairies, all the way to the Eastern seaboard. "We are propagation experts with 25 years experience and stand behind each and every starter plant that we produce." Haley says there are probably less than 10 companies in Canada that do what they do. Some of the plants they grow are destined to return to sites being reclaimed by companies in the resource industry. Some plants are destined for living roofs. NATS Nursery is the company that planted the living roof at Vancouver's new convention centre. The key message for resource companies to remember, said Ron Jacobson, Marketing Manager, is to plan well in advance of any work being done on the site. It takes time to collect the seeds needed for reclamation. NATS Nursery works with First Nations to whatever degree they want to be involved when planning a reclamation program. A dialogue about how to restore the site to its original condition is a positive way for communication to begin between First Nations and resource companies. NATS offers custom growing services for projects that require large volumes of material or provenance specific plants. They can collect site specific seed and ship the seed back to their propagation facility to propagate materials on a schedule and within budget. n naTs nursery native plant reclamation specialists by Kathrine Moore TOP: A variety of native plants used in mining reclamation get their start in NATs Nursery greenhouses. BOTTOM; Haley Argen, Starter Plant Sales and Ron Jacobson, Business Development Manager of NATS Nursery by the nursery's seed bank. Photos by Kathrine Moore