University of Georgia (State Botanical Garden of Georgia)

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia will restore native plant species diversity to five acres of degraded floodplain habitat along the Middle Oconee River. University of Georgia undergraduate students will assist in clearing invasive Chinese privet, fencing the perimeter of the Native Plant Propagation Area, upgrading a greenhouse growth environment, collecting and growing native plant species, surveying vegetation on the floodplain restoration site, out-planting the native plant species, and monitoring the restored understory to evaluate the success of individual species. The project will develop a collections care infrastructure that will make it possible to expand this restoration to an additional 27 acres of the floodplain, and it will generate a set of recommendations for floodplain restoration for landowners and land managers who wish to address the habitat devastation caused by Chinese privet.