How to disperse seeds like a Bison

An old jumper makes a
fabulous wild seed gatherer!

In this video tutorial we will look at a really simple and fun way to actively disperse wild flower and grass seeds from one place to another. This is a fabulous opportunity to increase biodiversity in your own garden or another wild place that you love! You may think this is unnecessary, given that plants are pretty good at dispersing seeds all on their own! Yet for many species, hitching a ride on the back of a hairy mammal was one of the best ways of forming new plant colonies often miles away from the parent plant in the past.

Imagine just how many seeds were dispersed this way when bison, aurochs, deer, bears and even elephants and rhinoceros roamed our countryside! Now, many of our plant species exist in increasingly isolated pockets of habitat and they may need our help breaking out!

So if you would like to help our wild flowers and grasses by replicating the art form of mammalian seed dispersal, why not take an old woolly jumper, coat, or blanket, head to your favourite wild spot (please ask permission first if this is a nature reserve), and drag your fur-like clothing through the undergrowth! On returning home, you can shake out the seeds, trample them in, and with luck you’ll see new plant species germinating as a result!

Watch this video tutorial for my top tips on how to disperse seeds like a bison!