Native Prairie Plants: Seed Collection and Cleaning
Sunday September 14, 2025
1 – 3:00 pm
Join Api’soomaahka (William Singer III), Alana Bartol, Kara Matthews, and Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed for a hands-on workshop focused on native prairie seeds and restoration. Learn how seed collection and cleaning support Remediation Plot (Future Prairie), a collaborative artwork-in-progress centred on plant-led processes and ecological reciprocity.
Participants will help clean seeds harvested at the Coutts Centre and may take a spoonful home. Cleaned seeds will also contribute to Remediation Plot and Naapi’s Garden. Species may include ratibida, wild chives, rose hips, sunflower, yarrow, and smooth aster. Species may vary based on seasonal abundance.
What to expect
• Brief introduction to native plant identification, ethical harvesting, and cleaning methods
• Hands-on seed cleaning
• Take-home seed spoonful and information on sowing
What to bring
• Weather-appropriate clothing and water
BIOS
Api’soomaahka (William Singer III)
A Blackfoot knowledge holder, artist, and environmental activist from the Kainai Nation, He is the founder of Naapi’s Garden and the Katoyiss Seed Bank, initiatives dedicated to restoring Blackfoot ecological relationships and cultural practices through art, land stewardship, and education.
Alana Bartol
An interdisciplinary artist and educator whose site-specific works explore environmental justice, petrocolonialism, and more-than-human relations through socially engaged, sensory, and research-based practices.
Kara Matthews
A Red Seal-trained Journeyman Horticulturist with education in environmental reclamation. Her work centres on caring for the land as a steward and interpreter at the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage. Kara’s passion for the diverse life forms on the property drives her ongoing learning and knowledge-sharing.
Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed
A botanist, herbalist, artist, and co-owner of ALCLA Native Plants. Her work focuses on plant-human relationships and ecological knowledge, drawing on her training in botany and herbal medicine.
