MISSOULA - Nature lovers in Missoula went out hunting for pine cones on Sunday, July 10, 2023.
The Missoula non-profit Adventure Science gathered volunteers together to search for specific types of pine cones. Finding the location of these pine cones is essential because they can be harvested for their seeds.
“Those seeds will then be collected in the cones by our partners at Mast Reforestation and used to build a seed bank and seedlings to reforest areas after forest fires, insect invasions — so rebuilding our forest communities," explained Jessica Eggers with Adventure Scientists.
The volunteers traveled down the Maclay Flat Nature Trail to spot the seeded conifer cones in various trees so they could pin the location for the scientists to find them.
“We usually do these types of events several times a summer. This project in particular is only [from] June to mid-August," Eggers told MTN News.
Additional information about the reforestation project and how to volunteer with Adventure Scientists can be found at https://www.adventurescientists.org/.
