
“Our nation’s seed resources are in need of the same kind of wise management and conservation warranted by other natural resources, such as timber and oil.”
- Edward Toth, Director
MARSB’s mission is twofold.
1) To conserve and wisely manage the region’s wild seed resources, through scientific sampling, ethical collection, and banking and curation to national standards. MARSB’s efforts will increase the availability of genetically appropriate native seed across the Mid-Atlantic for use in conservation, land management, ecological restoration, and horticulture.
2) To encourage and actively contribute to the development of the Native Plant Material supply chain throughout the mid-Atlantic region. The supply chain in the mid-Atlantic, though it has existed for over forty years, is significantly underdeveloped and largely informal. MARSB seeks to stimulate the development of a more mature, sustainable supply chain.