Seedling Sanctuary Project
$2,071
Raised
33
Donations
$50,000
Goal
Morning Star Conservancy Seedling Sanctuary Project
Operational Budget Supplement Fund
Supply chain challenges of the current peyote harvest/distribution system have resulted in decreased availability and increased cost to Native American Church (NAC) members who rely on increasingly scarce wild peyote populations.
Though formerly sufficient to meet the needs of the NAC in the US and Canada, the frailty and unsustainable nature of this “culled from the wild” supply method, now threatens the future of NAC ceremonial practices, and of the severely limited domestic reserves of the peyote species itself. Continued dependance on commercial harvesting of wild peyote populations for current NAC needs provides no foreseeable means of insuring future
sacramental supply.
Morning Star Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and protect peyote in its natural habitat. Establishing conservatory gardens is an important part of this mission. In support of this purpose, Morningstar Conservancy has received an initial operating grant for a peyote seedling sanctuary pilot project. This project will demonstrate the feasibility of producing seedling stock for transplant into dedicated conservatory gardens, and for potential repatriation into depleted habitats. This proof of concept seedling project will be active in January 2023. However, additional funding is required to continue the project beyond the first year startup period. Budget projections for this first initial period fall short, by approximately $50K, of costs which include a one time facility upgrade, (construction of greenhouse, required in second year operation), and resident caretaker salary.
Given that 3 years of specialized nursery care is required for successful transplant readiness into a natural culture environment, Morning Star Conservancy is seeking supplemental funding for years 1 through 3 of the seedling sanctuary project. It is anticipated that at the completion of this 3 year operating cycle, several appropriately designated conservatory gardens will be operational and ready to receive transplant stock into their custodianship. Several Native American Church (NAC) affiliated groups are currently engaged in planning conservatory gardens to be managed under their own organizational auspices. Morning Star Conservancy’s seedling sanctuary project is a necessary first step toward relieving these NAC affiliated organizations of the sensitive horticultural requirements of the life cycle of peyote seedlings. Due to the extended nature of peyote’s growth cycle, we are hopeful that this important process can proceed without delay.
Functioning as a culturally appropriate nursery providing sustainably grown planting stock for dedicated gardens, Morning Star Conservancy’s seedling project is an important first step in
addressing and remediating the impact of ecological and economic factors that challenge the current NAC sacramental supply system. For more information, please see www.morningstarconservancy.org. Contact us at [email protected]
Morning Star Conservancy is a 501c3 organization. EIN 88-2807422
Your contributions are eligible for non-profit, tax deductible purposes.
Donor Wall3
Ricky | $25
Anonymous | $276
Condor and Eagle
Katie A | $100
can't wait to watch these guys grow!