During the Great Seed Bomb on Nov. 14, bike riders will toss 3,000 seed balls along the Fort Worth Trinity Trails. Photo courtesy of Texas Butterfly Ranch.

Nov. 3, 2015

The bees and Monarchs have been battling for survival lately and Jillian Jordan of Keller decided she couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer. Instead she’s launching a whimsical offense to help these iconic beneficial insects – a fundraising bike ride called the Great Seed Bomb.

The fundraiser to be held Nov. 14 consists of a cruiser friendly 15-mile bike ride on the Trinity Trails in Fort Worth. Along the way, riders will toss seed “bombs” – a potent mix of clay, compost, native, non-GMO milkweed and wildflower seed.

Jordan, the assistant director of brand advertising for the University of North Texas, is organizing this event with her own money, supplemented by donations from sponsors like Native American Seed, who donated its Bee Happy Mix.

Jillian Jordan is the founder of the Great Seed Bomb.

“I combined all of my passions – bike riding, the environment and social enterprise," she said.

Next weekend, about 40 volunteers will be making 3,000 seed balls for the event.

She said she hopes some of the seeds will take root but it’s mostly an “awareness activity.” However, she added there’s a good chance that some of wildflowers will be planted. The ride winds through a late-mow area where no Roundup weed killer is used – one of reasons she chose the Fort Worth site. 

“We’re doing this in on fall on purpose,” said Jordan, adding it’s the best time to plant milkweed. 

Jordan, who has worked for the Environmental Defense Fund and the Climate Institute and who is also a certified water quality monitor, said she’s hoping that the event will take off and spread to Dallas and Austin and north along the monarch flyway.

In addition to the seed tossing, event goers can target practice with a seed-ball slingshot or launch a wildflower bomb on the driving range. There will be educational booths from the Texas Honeybee Guild and Texas Botanical Research Institute. Snacks and water will be available along with food trucks. 

A monarch feasts on milkweed.

Preregistration is $35.50 for adults and $16.50 for kids. It’s $39.50 the day of the event. Participants will receive T-shirts and fanny packs and will be able to reload their seed stash along the way. 

And be sure to wear your bee and butterfly costumes – there are prizes for the best outfits.

Jordan said she recently test rode the trails and lobbed a few test bombs. 

“It’s more fun than I thought it would be.”

Related Articles

Local experts say plant native milkweed for monarchs arriving in October

Monarch Czar appointed to boost milkweed planting in Texas


Sign up for the weekly Green Source DFW Newsletter to stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, the latest news and events. Follow us on FacebookTwitter and Pinterest.

Main category: