What Do TLC Staff Do in Winter?

January is here. Nature is quiet – it’s cold out, and snow is on the ground. That must mean it’s time for TLC staff to go back to the office, take off their work boots and cuddle up with office cat Spock, right?

Nope! While Spock does get his share of attention, work at TLC continues year-round, both indoors and outdoors.

Restoration Staff

Daniel, David and Kevin

The winter months are actually a great time for brush clearing, mowing and woody work. With no leaves and less plant growth to contend with, it’s easier to find and remove the invasive trees and shrubs that are interfering with the growth of native ones. And having a toasty bonfire is a plus on a cold day!

The restoration team will also be working on processing (drying, cleaning and sorting) the many types of native seed that were collected from TLC sites in the fall.

Did you know that winter is a good time to spread native seed? Spreading seed after a snowfall helps the seeds be absorbed by the ground, and the cold temperatures will prevent the seed from germinating before spring.

Other winter tasks include replacing old or missing conservation boundary signs and interviewing candidates for the summer internship program.

When the weather is really bad, they use the time to get caught up on organizing tools and repairing equipment.

Conservation@Home

Sarah and Carol

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean you can’t schedule a Conservation@Home site visit! Sarah and Carol are available year-round to help you transform your yard to a beautiful, native landscape that supports wildlife, helps rain soak into the soil, and provides natural beauty.

The Conservation@Home team also have presentations and several webinars scheduled throughout the winter. Check out our Events calendar for more info on upcoming programs.

Farm Program

Claire

For Claire, winter is all about the planning. She is working on an upcoming agriculture-related film screening, as well as planning events for the year to come, including events that give women in agriculture a space to share their stores and learn from one another.

Food Forest

Gretchen

While TLC’s Community Food Forest rests for the winter, Gretchen is busy planning its next stages. This includes ordering seeds, winter seed sowing and starting seeds for spring planting. And, of course, there are tasks like organizing the Food Forest shed for the year to come, writing grants to help fund the program and planning events to get the community involved.

Enjoy the winter months – we hope to see you at an upcoming volunteer workday, on a winter webinar or at an upcoming event!