Volunteers partner to plant native species at Golden Gardens

Volunteers with the City of Eugene Parks Volunteer Program partnered with members of the Active Bethel Community group and the Beyond Toxics nonprofit organization to plant native wapato at the Golden Gardens Park natural area.

The wapato recently had been harvested in partnership with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Willamette Riverkeepers, as well as the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde's native plant nursery experts and the city of Salem.

Wapato, sometimes called the Katniss plant or common arrowhead, is an important Native American traditional food. It produces starchy tubers similar to potatoes, and the plant grows well on the edges of shallow wetlands, such as ponds, streams and marshes.

Park staff recently had returned from the Intertribal Nursery Council annual meeting and learned about the historical significance of wapato and local Tribes.

The plant will support wetland plant diversity and provide baby Western Pond Turtles a great place to hide from predators.