Fundraiser for college’s biology and environmental science students held May 4 and 5      

Clark College will host its fourth annual native plant sale on May 4 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and May 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Natural Plant Center, the college’s greenhouse. Most plants are priced at $10.00 or less. Students will be available to assist customers with transporting plants to their vehicles.

The event is free and open to the public. Clark College is located at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA, 98663. The greenhouse is located on the east side of campus off of E. Reserve St., near the Orange 2 parking lot. Directions and maps are available online at www.clark.edu/maps.

All plants were propagated by Clark College biology and environmental science students. In addition to prepping these plants for sale, students have been propagating other plants in the greenhouse for use in restoration projects at various sites in Southwest Washington including the Columbia River Gorge, Trout Lake, and Clark’s future site in Ridgefield, Clark College at Boschma Farms.

This year the sale features a variety of native perennials and shrubs along with one tree species, Western Red Cedar. Shoppers will be able to choose from among 23 different plants, including Red-flowering Currant, Native Rose, Lewis’ Mockorange, Blanket Flower, Showy Milkweed, and Native Strawberry. Limited supplies of Trillium and Native Iris will be available as well. Many of these plants support the region’s pollinators and make for low-intensity gardening.

Proceeds from the plant sale go to support the college’s Science Consortium Fund, which helps cover the costs of a greenhouse coordinator and field studies classes. Students who participate in field studies visit places such as Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon and the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California. Students pay $210 to $255 for four-day and ten-day trips to these locations, which would normally cost more than $1000 if not for the help of the consortium fund.

For more information about the sale or plants available, visit www.clark.edu/cc/plantsale or contact Erin Harwood, Clark College STEM Coordinator, at eharwood@clark.edu. Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services (DSS) Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP) or visit room PUB 013.