The City of Winchester’s Arborist Jordan Herring and retired Shenandoah University professor and wetlands expert Woody Bousquet are assisting the US Fish and Wildlife Service with a new project.

They are working together to help bring back native thistles.

Native thistles are an important part of the ecosystem, especially for pollinators and birds.

They have been disappearing rapidly due to habitat loss and indiscriminate weed control efforts.

Native thistles are often mistaken for the invasive Canada thistle which also leads to their removal.

Three native thistle seeds are being collected for the project including pasture, field, and swamp.

Abrams Creek in Winchester is a great source for swamp thistle but the project is still in need of pasture thistle.

If you are interested in learning more about this project or would like to submit native pasture thistle seeds, contact Kathleen Patnode at 814-357-1735.

To learn more about the importance of native thistle, click here.