ECOSCAPER LEVEL 3 SAMPLE/PRACTICE
TEST
Note: You will
receive no feedback, scores, results,
etc.
Welcome to the Ecoscaper
Level 3 Sample/Practice Test page. We
are pleased you have decided to undertake
this educational certification process.
Answers to all questions asked in this
test can be found in the following Wild
Ones resource materials:
1. Wild Ones New Member Handbook
2. Wild Ones Landscaping with Native
Plants
3. Wild Ones web site at www.for-wild.org
Correct answers of
75% or more of the test questions will
give you a passing grade. You are welcome
to take the test over as many times as
you wish. This sample
test will not be sent to Wild Ones, and will not be scored.
We wish you luck in
this new challenge.
SAMPLE/PRACTICE
TEST
Please respond true
or false for each numbered statement.
Across North America,
more and more people are discovering
the satisfaction of landscaping their
homes, schools, businesses and places
of worship with native plants.
1. Native
plants are those that evolved naturally
in North America after humans introduced
plants from distant places.
True
False
2. In eastern and
central North America, native plants
typically grew in communities with species
adapted to similar soil, moisture, and
weather conditions.
True
False
3. Native plants save energy because
they are low maintenance. They are vigorous
and hardy, so they can survive winter
cold and summer heat. Once established,
they require irrigation and fertilization,
but they are resistant to most pests
and diseases.
True
False
4.
Each native plant species is a member
of a community that includes other plants,
animals and microorganisms. The natural
balance keeps each species in check,
allowing it to thrive in conditions where
it is suited, but preventing it from
running amok.
True
False
5. Native plants
can’t enrich
the soil and improve water quality even
though their root systems help rainfall
percolate into the soil, reducing erosion
and runoff.
True
False
Suppose you have
a site that would be suitable for native
plantings, have researched which plants
would be suitable for the soil, light
and water that would be available for
these plants, and have chosen the species,
by Latin (botanical) names, that you
want to plant. Now you need to procure
the seeds and/or plants. Where/how would
you get them?
6. I’d
go to a nearby prairie, woodland or
wetland and dig some plants so I have
plants indigenous to my area.
True
False
7. I’d
talk with my more experienced friends
through Wild Ones to see if they
know of reliable nurseries in the area
that sell native seeds and plants indigenous
to my area. They might also give me
some advice on planting.
True
False
8. It would cost
me $50 to $100 to plant 1,000 square
feet of seeds from a local native plant
nursery. Yikes! That’s
too much! I have a catalog from another
state. They have wildflower seeds, and
it costs only $25 for a can of seeds
with a rainbow of colors, and it’ll
plant 1,000 square feet. I’m going
to go that route.
True
False
9. I’d
check out the nurseries and seed companies
my Wild Ones friends recommend. I understand
these nurseries will provide seeds
which are from native plants endemic
to this area and which have been properly
stored to maintain viability. These
nurseries will also give me some information
about developing a native plant garden.
True
False
10.
I’ve seen
a lot of pretty flowers growing along
roadsides. I’ll collect
seeds and dig some flowers from there
for my planting. I like that nice deep
green, stiff-leaved highway grass, too.
I’ll get a native plant garden
for practically nothing.
True
False
You have
sown the seeds in the ground according
to instructions you’ve
received from the nursery, from your
reading, and from the advice of your
experienced friends. What more do you
have to do?
11.
I’ll need to weed my planting,
being especially careful to control invasive
non-native plants. Maybe my Wild Ones
friends can help me identify weeds I
don’t know if I bring them a pressed
sample. Besides that, maybe they can
tell me about web sites or other resources
for pictures of noxious weeds to help
me identify what I have.
True
False
12. I won’t have to water
my new seedlings, since I’ve been
hearing all along that native plants
have long roots to get down to moist
soil.
True
False
13. I’d like to do a burn
on my prairie in the future, so this
would be a good time to check with my
local fire department, and perhaps the
sheriff’s
department to find out whether burns
are permitted in my area. I also want
to assist with a burn before doing my
own, so this would be a good time to
find someone who needs help with a burn.
True
False
14.
It has taken quite a bit of effort to
get my site planted and to control the
weeds, but I know that the work will
decrease as time goes on. Not having
the noise and pollution of the lawn mower
is well worth any amount of work that
I’m doing.
True
False
It’s the second
year of your planting and your neighbors
are complaining that the pollen from
your plants is bothering them. They’re
worried about mosquitoes filling the
air and about rats that will be attracted
to the neighborhood in years to come.
They’re also worried that
you’ll want to burn the planting
in the future, endangering surrounding
properties. How will you answer them?
15.
Invite them over and explain that pollen
on native plants is so heavy that it
falls to the ground; that it’s
more likely that the wind-blown pollen
that’s bothering them is from the
ragweed.
True
False
16. Explain that
rats can’t survive
on plants that are growing on my property
because the seeds from the plants are
too sparse to support them, and maybe
I’ll tell them some other things
that I’ve learned from my Wild
Ones Handbook, like the fact that
mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. I’ll
even tell them how to safeguard against
snakes.
True
False
17.
I make a mental note to continue to educate
the neighbors so as they become more
comfortable with my planting and begin
to realize the benefits of my native
landscaping, I’ll be able to offer
them excess seedlings for their yards.
True
False
18.
Show them my Wild
Ones Handbook and
a couple recent Journals, and
invite them to come with me to our
next meeting so they can meet other
people who’ve
had native gardens for years.
True
False
19. I’ll tell
them that I plan to learn how to conduct
a burn before I even consider having
one, that I’ll
let them know when or if I plan to burn,
and that I’ll check with the local
fire department and complete any other
requirements my community ordinances
require. Then I’m going to tell
them how the burn will cause less pollution
than we would have had from my lawnmower,
had I kept on mowing my lawn.
True
False
You’re a
member of Wild Ones, but are a PAL (partner-at-large),
with no Wild Ones chapter in your area.
You’d like to start a chapter because
you have several friends and neighbors
who also seem to be very interested in
the value of working with native plants.
How would you go about this?
20. I’d
get my friends together for coffee and
cake and call us a chapter and write
up a schedule for three or four meetings
at one another’s
homes whenever we could get together.
We’ll
play cards while discussing our latest
experiences with our native plants.
True
False
21. I’d get a start-up kit
from the National Office and read it.
Then I’d set a date, call my interested
friends, and tell them about how we could
broaden our knowledge by having guest
speakers. That we could also increase
others knowledge about the benefits of
using native plants by participating
in Wild Ones group activities on a community
level. Having a local Wild Ones chapter
would mean that we could be part of the
national Wild Ones organization.
True
False
22. I’d handle the meeting
at first, because I had the information
and would be able to talk about the mission
of Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural
Landscapes, the value of belonging to
the larger group, how membership dues
would be used, the importance of electing
officers and establishing a place where
we could meet on a regular basis, speakers
we might have at our meetings, how we’d
elect officers, how we could earn money
and how we could publish a chapter newsletter.
In addition, we could brainstorm about
places we might like to go on group field
trips to see how others are managing
native plant communities.
True
False
23. I’d do everything I could
to help our chapter succeed, including
participating on the board. I realize
working on my planting alone and not
having others to talk with about native
plantings or how to go about some of
the things related to natural landscaping
is not very efficient.
True
False
What is a plant
rescue?
24. It’s rescuing a plant
from my neighbor’s yard, from the
woodland just out of town, or from the
local arboretum, because it’ll
do better in my yard than it will where
it’s now growing.
Nobody will miss it anyway.
True
False
25. It’s doing a bit of sleuthing
when you know there are plans to build
a shopping center, hospital or condos,
widen a highway, etc in a place that
now is native woodland or prairie plants.
It’s going to a courthouse and
finding out who owns that property, asking
permission to dig plants for transplanting
to Wild Ones members’ yards and
possibly to school, park or community
native planting sites.
True
False
26. It’s getting
a bunch of friends out to protest the
cutting of sweet clover and Queen Anne’s
lace along country roads.
True
False
How does one go
about carrying out a plant rescue?
27.
It doesn’t much matter how
you go about it, just so you know that
the land is going to be destroyed – then
you can go in any time and take what
you want.
True
False
28. You can’t just go onto
private property, no matter what’s
been happening on it or what’s
going to happen to it in the future.
It’s
imperative that we (the rescue chair
and I) find the owner, that we tell him
or her that we belong to an organization
that promotes the restoration and maintenance
of native plants, and that we’d
like permission to go onto the property
to find out if there are native plants
growing there which they might allow
us to rescue. After we’ve done
the survey, we’d report back and
tell them what we found and that our
organization would like to remove the
native plants at a time which would be
agreeable with them. That the dig would
be supervised by knowledgeable people,
that there would be no liability on their
part, and that their privacy would be
protected. That the plants would be transplanted
to our yards for preservation and future
restoration efforts, as well as to not-for-profit
educational sites and public places that
use native plants in their outdoor learning
centers or community landscaping.
True
False
29. It’s silly to go through
all of the above when we could just go
in at a time of day when there’s
no traffic, dig the plants, and get out
before anyone sees us. That land is going
to be torn up in a little while anyway,
by bulldozer drivers who haven’t
a clue about what’s there. I’ve
told my friends about the place, and
they’re ready to help me dig.
True
False
30.
Well, there are definite rules that I
want to follow, not only to keep things
legal, but also so I can sleep at night.
The first is getting permission to check
out what’s there and reporting
back to the owner with the inventory
of the plants, telling him/her how we’d
use the plants (it could be in our own
plantings). If it’s okay with the
owner that we dig, we’d find out
exactly where the property to be destroyed
begins and ends, we’d establish
a date and time for the dig, let our
members know about it. At the plant rescue,
we’d have waivers ready for diggers
to sign protecting the owner from liability
and we’d make sure they know to
leave no bit of litter of any kind, to
take only what can be reasonably used,
to dig extra plants for local receiving
areas, and to share the information about
the site with no one but our fellow Wild
Ones members. I'd thank the owner
and give them credit for contributions
to not-for-profit educatonal groups and
public places. It’s
hard to put everything in this quiz,
so I’d check page 13 in the Wild
Ones New Member Handbook for more
essential details before planning and/or
participating in a plant rescue.
True
False
31. I’d
especially try to get publicity, regardless
of the owners desire for privacy, not
only to give the owner credit for his/her
generosity, but also to help people
become aware of the importance of precious
native sites so in the future, more
effort will be made to save the site
itself.
True
False
Your chapter might
be invited to pick seeds at a local Nature
Center. How would you go about this?
What would you do with the seeds?
32.
I will bring along paper bags or envelopes,
with a pencil for marking and stick close
to an experienced member to learn the
names of the plants that belong to
the seeds I’m picking
so I can write the correct name on the
bag.
True
False
33. When I get
home, I’ll go to
the information in the Wild
Ones New Member Handbook on how to
handle seeds prior to planting. I might
also look in reference books and, again,
check with my Wild Ones friends. I’ll
spread seeds that need drying on newspaper,
clean chaff from those that need cleaning
and put seeds of each species in its
own paper bag marked with common name,
botanical name, date, and place of origin.
True
False
34.
When I get home, I’ll spread
seeds that need drying on newspaper,
clean chaff from those that need cleaning,
and put seeds of each species in its
own bag marked with common name, botanical
name, date, and place of origin. Four
to eight weeks before my chosen planting
time, I’ll go to the information
in the Wild Ones
New Members Handbook on
how to handle seeds prior to planting.
I might also look in reference books
and, again, check with my Wild Ones friends,
the experts.
True
False
35. All I need to learn
is what to do with one seed species in
preparation for planting, as the needs
of all species are similar enough to
treat them alike.
True
False
36. When my seeds are
completely dry, I’ll put the sorted
seeds in moisture-proof, mouse-proof
glass or tin containers and put them
all on either a basement shelf or a shelf
in the garage, the coolest places in
my house until I’m ready
to sow the seed.
True
False
What is moist seed
stratification?
37. It’s
putting the seeds in water and watching
them every day until they germinate.
True
False
38.
It’s
layering newspapers on the soil to
warm it and keep it moist before planting
the seeds.
True
False
39. For cold moist
stratification, it’s
mixing your seeds with moist sand and
putting them in the refrigerator for
the length of time recommended for the
seed type.
True
False
40. It’s a process that mimics
nature’s cycle of freeze/thaw which
breaks down chemical/physical inhibitors
of germination.
True
False
41. Stratification
is the process of preparing your soil
so you can plant your seeds in straight,
carefully marked rows.
True
False
What is scarification?
Why and how do we do scarification?
42.
Scarification is a process used to break
down the hard coats of legume and puccoon
seeds so that the seeds can absorb water.
True
False
43. Seeds
of native grasses usually need scarification
because birds love the seeds, and the
scarification process will scare them
away so they don’t
eat all your seeds.
True
False
44. Scarification can
be done by rubbing the seeds against
sandpaper or a wire screen.
True
False
45. Seeds of
plants in the legume, or bean, family
usually don’t need
scarification.
True
False
46. Scarification is
necessary to help the germination process
to take place in some seeds.
True
False
Whew, there’s
certainly a lot of information to remember
about what to do with seeds. Now there’s
something about inoculation, too. How
does one go about that?
47. It’s
kind of like the inoculations that
kids get for whooping cough and measles.
You get yourself a vial of plant inoculum,
a needle and syringe, and inoculate
your seeds with the inoculum.
True
False
48. Seeds
in the legume family, a few of which
are purple prairie clover, leadplant,
lupines, showy tick trefoil, and groundnut
(some people call it the "bean" family)
need nitrogen-producing soil bacteria
for successful growth. My soil might
contain these, but to be sure that my
legumes grow, I’ll add the inoculant
to these seeds after they’ve been
scarified and/or stratified.
True
False
49. I’ll need to be sure that
I’m
using the inoculum specific to the species
I’m working with for my planting.
True
False
50.
I’ll
buy the inoculum from my native-seed
supplier.
True
False
51. Maybe I’ll
just add the inoculum to the soil after
I’ve done my
seeding.
True
False
Is it OK to plant
or sow your seeds during the winter months
if you live in an area of cold winters,
with snow, ice and freeze-thaw conditions?
52.
Yes, I could sow my seeds outdoors during
winter months, and maybe even in early
spring.
True
False
53. No,
I wouldn’t
sow my seeds in winter because the
combination of cold weather with ice
and snow is a detriment to native seeds.
True
False
54.
Yes, I know that the cold weather and
repeated exposure to moisture softens
seed coats and dissolves germination
inhibiting chemicals.
True
False
55. Yes,
because I know that protective seed mechanisms,
such as thick coverings or germination-inhibiting
chemicals ensure that young plants
won’t sprout
during fall rains and freeze in winter.
True
False
What about actually
putting the seeds into the ground?
56.
I’d
scatter the seeds in late fall and
rake them in if my soil is dry.
True
False
57. If
the soil is too wet for raking, I’d
sow the seeds anyway, and the birds might
give me further help by spreading some
of the seed to new areas. If I don’t
want birds to eat the seeds, I might
want to wait until I know there’s
a good snow coming to cover the seeds.
True
False
58.
I’d plant each species of seed
in one place in my yard, and if they
didn’t come up, I’d give
up on them because they wouldn’t
grow anywhere else either.
True
False
59. Native seeds
vary in appearance, hardiness, growth
patterns, and germination rates, so
I wouldn’t expect all
of the seeds to sprout at the same time,
nor would I expect them to be the same
size or look alike when they do come
up.
True
False
60. Keeping in
mind biodiversity, I’d
scatter only one kind of seed in one
spot.
True
False
How would you conduct
a seed exchange for your chapter?
61.
I’d first make sure that time
is set aside in late fall or winter for
the seed exchange so all seed collection
can be completed, but I’d send
out information about the exchange early
in the summer so everyone would know
what to expect, which date to set aside,
and how to prepare their own seeds.
True
False
62.
Next, I’d
arrange for a guest speaker to present
an hour-long program on the importance
of native plants to pollinators.
True
False
63. I’d ask people to put
all of their seeds together in a big
bag and mark it with their name and the
words "PRAIRIE
SEEDS."
True
False
64. Well, I’d say "No!" to
the above idea. I’d ask members
to put each type of seed into its own
bag and label it with the plant’s
common name, botanical name, date collected,
location of origin, and brief growing
instructions.
True
False
65. I’d be sure to have an
exhibit illustrating our chapter’s
activities, with a form that visitors
can fill out to request further information.
True
False
National Board
members of Wild Ones, along with experts
in the field of restoration of native
plantings have developed guidelines,
based on the study of scientific literature
regarding local ecotypes, for people
planning to create natural landscapes.
What are some of these guidelines?
66.
It’s
recommended that the selection of plants
and seeds be derived, as closely as
possible, from local or regional sources
at sites having the same or similar environmental
conditions as the site of planting.
True
False
67.
If I make sure that the plants and seeds
I use in my planting are called American
Genotype, I’ll be on the
right track.
True
False
68. Environmental conditions
including soil, climate, elevation, drainage,
sun, shade, and precipitation are all
things I need to think about to select
seeds and plants of local genotype.
True
False
69.
It’s
more important that my plant material
come from a region that is ecologically
similar to my planting site than that
it be from an area in my neighborhood.
True
False
Why
would you choose local ecotypes?
70.
Because plants that have come from
environments that match that of my
yard have the greatest chance of success
there.
True
False
71. Plants of my local
ecotype will make the native insects,
birds, mammals, and other wildlife that
might come to my yard happy because I’ve
provided the kind of food and shelter
to which they’ve evolved.
True
False
72. To preserve
the genetic diversity of the native plants
of my local ecotype when buying plants,
I would ask for seedling stock, rather
than clonal stock or cultivars.
True
False
How would you find
plants and seeds of your local ecotype?
73.
I’d
go to a local nature center, a state
natural resource department, a local
Wild Ones chapter, or a native plant
organization and ask for a list of
nurseries that carry native plants
and local ecotypes.
True
False
74. I’d ask the nursery where
they get their seeds and plants, and
from their answer, determine whether
they’ve
come from within my ecoregion.
True
False
75. I’d
be sure that the plants are nursery
propagated, rather than dug from the
wild, potted, and then grown in the
nursery for a while.
True
False
76. I would make
inquiries about the source of seeds
that I’m thinking
of buying, as I know that it’s
against Wild Ones’ mission to buy
or plant seeds and native plants that
have been procured from our last remaining
remnants of natural areas. In fact, I
know now that it’s unethical, devastating
to local ecotypes, and illegal to take
plants and seeds from property that is
not my own without permission.
True
False
77. If I’m picking seeds on
a property where I’ve had permission,
I’ll
take every last seed from the plants
so I’ll have as many as possible
for my natural area.
True
False
78. It would be
silly to document where my plants have
come from, even if I’m
working at a nature center or some other
large planting. The people who think
that our Earth is going through a process
of global warming are mistaken, and the
success or failure of the plants’ adaptation
to the local environment certainly has
nothing to do with climate change, nor
will it help anyone in understanding
plant selection.
True
False
Birds and plants
have been collaborating since ancient
times developing a mutually beneficial
relationship.
79. Birds help to pollinate
plants, disperse their seeds, and eat
the insects that can ravage them.
True
False
80. To
entice birds to do this work for them,
plants have evolved colorful, nectar-filled
flowers and luscious, nutrient-packed
fruits and seeds to nourish them.
True
False
81. However,
their limbs and leaves don’t
offer nesting sites and cover.
True
False
We landscape for
birds because small islands of habitat
can provide food resources particularly
during migration.
82. Habitat loss is the
least important cause of the decline
of species.
True
False
83. Your yard, whatever
its size, can offer habitat for birds
since all birds use feeders.
True
False
Stephen
Kress, National Audubon Society, says, "Native
plants, which have co-evolved with
native wild birds, are more likely
to provide a mix of foods – just
the right size, and with just the right
kind of nutrition – and just
when the birds need them."
84.
There are fewer species and greater
numbers of birds in areas with native
species than in areas with exotic,
or non-native species.
True
False
85.
Birds nesting in non-native shrubs, like
buckthorn and honeysuckle, are safer
from predators such as cats and raccoons
than birds nesting in native shrubs.
This is due to the branching and other
characteristics of the non-native shrubs.
True
False
86. Most insects,
so important for bird nutrition, prefer
their native host plants and, in fact,
often lack the enzymes needed to digest
non-native plants.
True
False
87. The great variety
of native species, which provide food
for birds throughout the year, is being
replaced by a very limited number of
invasive non-native species.
True
False
WOW!
88.
What
a wonderful local ecotypes bibliography
is listed on page 17 of the Wild
Ones New Member Handbook! I’ve
looked through it so I’ll have
an idea of where to get information at
every stage of my involvement with Wild
Ones and my use of native plants.
True
False
Why would you want
to be involved in Seeds for Education?
89.
Lorrie Otto, a teacher, naturalist, and
activist, who has been an inspiration
to thousands, says it all in her statement
about stimulating young children to appreciate
and learn about the diversity of life.
This statement is one that each of us
who has an interest in the perpetuation
of our native species must heed if we
are going to accomplish our goal of healing
the Earth not just for ourselves, but
future generations.
True
False
90.
Kids can’t do anything about
restoring native species. It’s
the landowners that we need to reach
in order to get anything done.
True
False
91. Lorrie
Otto’s
idea of teaching kids by involving
them in developing native plantings
on school sites provides direction
for the Wild Ones goals for the future.
True
False
92.
I’m
not certain, but I would go to the
Wild Ones web site and/or a local Wild
Ones chapter to learn about where to
find resources and to learn about the
benefits of schoolyard habitats, environmental
education and curriculum connections.
True
False
What questions
would you ask the group considering the
idea of creating a native planting in
a schoolyard, a park, or other public
space?
93. That’s a tough question
because there are so many answers, but
I’d
start by asking what the goals of the
project would be.
True
False
94. Next, I’d create an outline,
which might have several major headings: "Types
of Restoration Possible," "Educational
Benefits," "People Involvement," "Planning
the Planting," "Funding Resources," "The
Planting Itself," "Maintenance," "Community
Involvement," and maybe even a continuing
aspect, "Publicity."
True
False
95. Every time
someone in the group makes a suggestion,
I’d put it under
one of my major headings and, of course,
I’d add many of my own ideas and
also, some that I’ve gotten from
my Wild Ones resources, including the
list of questions on page 18 of the Wild
Ones New Member Handbook (the place
where I got the ideas for the outline).
True
False
96.
What would be the benefits to the kids
from having a native planting in their
own schoolyard. I could never ask that
question often enough, because I know
there are hundreds and hundreds of answers
about the benefits for the kids, the
critters, and our environment – all
because the kids will have learned by
being involved.
True
False
There have been
people in the past, as well as the present,
who have been or who are now active in
the movement toward childhood involvement
in planning, planting, enjoying, and
learning from natural areas in schoolyards
and other places. What did some of them
have to say about these special places
in the lives of children?
97. Jens Jensen,
maker of natural parks and gardens, suggested
that playgrounds for children should
have a variety of spaces and settings
to stimulate different kinds of creative
play and exploration activities, rather
than focus only on physical equipment.
He felt that it was important for children
to experience nature firsthand, to be
able to explore and to sense enclosure
and mystery in natural spaces.
True
False
98. Brett
Rappaport, former President of Wild Ones,
has written "Ten Commandments To Planting
A Successful Outdoor Classroom." These
commandments should be incorporated into
my outline for the development of a natural
area.
True
False
99.
Luther Burbank said, "Every
child should have mud pies, grasshoppers,
waterbugs, tadpoles, frogs and turtles,
elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns,
hickory nuts, trees to climb, animals
to pet, hayfields, pine cones, rocks
to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries
and hornets – and any child who
has been deprived of these has been deprived
of his education."
True
False
100. Lorrie Otto
said, "What happens
in a society when the young are not stimulated
by the diversity of life? Since childhood
we’ve been taught that one form
of life depends on another. In adulthood
we, in turn, preach it to the young.
Yet in areas where we could put our learning
and teaching...we neaten and bleaken,
consistently and relentlessly destroying
habitat. It is as if we took our heads,
hung them up and left them at the nature
center."
True
False
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