As the seasons shift to spring and plants start to bloom, one ethnobotanist is encouraging gardeners to plant seeds that naturally grow in their part of the province. Bren Beckwith, co-founder of KinSeed Ecologies in Nelson, B.C. — an offshoot of the Kootenay Native Plant Society — says native plants "are the foundation of local ecosystems." "The plants themselves are part of this community," said Beckwith.