PEMBROKE — The Lumbee Tribe of N.C. welcomed another Earth Day with new partners and a renewed commitment to plant seeds of renewal for generations to come.

The Lumbee Tribe Agriculture and Natural Resources Department staff along with Tribal Council member Wendy Moore, partners from the Lumbee Cultural Burn Association, the NC Nature Conservancy, Lumbee Community Members and the Lumbee River Keeper came together recently at the Lumbee Culture Center to celebrate and honor Earth Day by planting blueberry bushes and Long Leaf Pine tree plugs.

Both plants are native to North America and very prevalent in the Southeast United States. The blueberry bushes were planted along a new nature path that is being created to encourage physical exercise, healthy native foraging and ecological, agricultural and cultural education. The blueberries were purchased through grant funds with the goal to support healthy lifestyles.

The nature path at the Culture Center is being managed through controlled burning to restore longleaf pines to reestablish the Pine Savannahs that were historically there. Pine trees were donated from the North Carolina State Parks. Along with plants, signs were mounted along trails to inform and educate Lumbee people on the research that is being conducted by biology students attending The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Throughout the year, students from the UNCP Biology Department visit the Culture Center to conduct research and observe plants, insects, wildlife, water quality and the changes each of these make from year to year.

The teams also posted signs near the power line easements to prohibit the spraying of herbicides. The signage was provided by Progress Energy to ensure new and existing native plants will not be killed due to the exposure of herbicide spraying near the power line easements.

Projects like this would not be possible without partnerships and participation from the community. Through support from Chairman John Lowery, Tribal administration, Tribal council, the community, grant funds and partnerships, the Lumbee Tribe and the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources can dedicate new efforts to new conservation projects to ensure a renewed commitment to environmental health and education for future generations.