Site Location 

Nature Preserve Background 

The Binghamton University Nature Preserve is a 190-acre natural area located right on campus, offering a mix of wetlands, forests, meadows, and trails. Originally threatened by development in the 1970s, it was preserved thanks to student and faculty advocacy. Today, it features Harpur Pond, over 10 miles of trails, and serves as a living lab for ecological research and education. Continuing the long tradition of protecting and caring for this land, our newest project focuses on bringing back native understory plants including wild ginger (Asarum canadense) and bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) that are culturally, recreationally, and aesthetically important to the public. 

Restoration 

​ As part of our restoration project, we established 12 planting plots throughout the   Nature Preserve with the First-Year Research Immersion class at BU.

 For wild ginger, eight of our plots are located inside a deer enclosure while the   remaining four plots are outside the fence. At each plot, we planted five individual   wild ginger plants, for a total of 60 plants across plots. For bloodroot, we have 8   plots, with four each inside and outside the fence. We planted 10 plants at each   plot, for a total of 80 plants across plots. 

 This setup allows us to compare how seed dispersal by ants and environmental   conditions, including deer browsing affects plant restoration success. Over time, we   will monitor plant fitness (growth, survival, and reproduction) to see how well they   establish and what conditions support their recovery best.

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Planting Day

Seed Dispersal Trials

At the Nature Preserve, we also conducted dispersal trials, experiments designed to measure
ant-mediated seed dispersal. Seeds from mature plants are removed from their pods, counted, and placed on a piece of parchment paper. The next day, we recount the seeds. Missing seeds were likely dispersed by ants, though other factors may also play a role. We also record any seeds that had their elaiosomes removed but were not dispersed, which can indicate "robbery" by invasive slugs (Arion sp.) that eat the elaiosome without moving the seed.