The stories of our passionate Citizen Science Corps volunteers are as varied and interesting as those of the seeds that they grow. In celebration of Citizen Science Month, we are sharing three firsthand accounts written by 2019 Citizen Science Corps participants that shed light on what inspires them to step up to the plate to help SSE steward its collection for future generations through the ADAPT and RENEW programs. We launched the series with Tiffany Traverse of British Columbia, Canada, and continued it with Dorene Pasekoff of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Our final “profilee”? Sue Gregg of Noblesville, Indiana.

What, exactly, inspires so many Seed Savers Exchange members to give of their time and talent each year to grow out rare varieties from our collection as Citizen Science Corps volunteers?

As we gather around tables this holiday season, our food traditions will take center stage in how we meaningfully connect with family and friends. The journey these traditions take to reach our plates and our hearts keeps us deeply rooted in both where and who we come from. Yet many of us honor these traditions each year without realizing the full extent of the incredible journey they took, or the long chains of ancestors that stewarded them for countless generations before us. 

Executive Director Lee Buttala recently traveled to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to deliver our annual deposit of rare varieties and to participate in commemorating the Seed Vault’s 10th anniversary. Share in his journey with these photos and observations.