Growing the Northwest Plant Materials Program
by Alexis Larsen, July 2026
The Northwest Plant Materials Program (PMP) has been growing in 2026 — literally and programmatically. We’ve been able to rehire staff after the federal funding cuts the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) experienced last year, take on new projects (both for the PMP and for IAE as a whole), and welcome new team members. Read on to hear about our work in plant materials development.
Northwest Native Seed Farm
The Northwest Native Seed Farm supports restoration and recovery efforts through native seed production for the IAE Habitat Restoration Program and partners throughout the Willamette Valley and Oregon coast. This year, the farm has 46 distinct fields with 36 species, grown for 13 different projects. Some species are grown in multiple fields to distinguish between recovery zones or geographic location (e.g., Oregon sunshine for the coast versus for Marys Peak). We welcomed Rose Roberts to the farm team this year as a seasonal Farm Technician. Rose completed an internship at the farm last year, and we’re excited to welcome her back in an official capacity!
Northwest Greenhouse
The Northwest greenhouse grows plugs for restoration and recovery efforts using both wild-collected and farm-produced seed. In the 2025–26 plug production season, the greenhouse team started nearly 34,000 plugs of 24 different species. Many of these plugs will be delivered to project sites this fall, so for now they’re in the shade house at the farm, getting water and maintenance through the summer. The greenhouse team also coordinates with the farm team to grow plugs for farm field establishment, typically planted in spring. Beyond plug maintenance, the team is currently accepting plug requests from the farm and Habitat Restoration Program and planning next season’s production.
Wild Seed Collection
Our wild seed collection crew is collecting seed throughout the Willamette Valley and Oregon coast, as well as in sagebrush-steppe habitat near Brothers, Oregon this year. The team is scouting for and collecting seed from 37 species across four projects. Our Willamette Valley project is in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, with the goal of collecting and producing seed for up to 15 species to support oak habitat restoration on tribal land. Our sagebrush-steppe project is in partnership with the Crook Soil & Water Conservation District to collect five species for sagebrush restoration; seed production will be handled by BFI Native Seeds in Wenatchee, WA. Finally, we’re collecting species for dune and coastal prairie habitat restoration at Camp Westwind near Lincoln City — this seed will be used to produce plugs for direct outplanting or to establish seed amplification fields at the IAE Farm or with partner growers. We also welcomed back Jake Picardat, Plant Materials Ecologist, to coordinate wild seed collection efforts.
Northwest Conservation in Prisons
Previously part of the Ecological Education Program, the Northwest Conservation in Prisons program (CIP) has found a new home in the Northwest PMP. This spring, we welcomed back three IAE staff members: Annie Lamas, Svea Bruslind, and Alyson Singer. We said goodbye to Ariel Nelson, CIP Coordinator in Wyoming, but we’re excited to have Alexis Rosa start in that role in August. Much of the CIP’s work involves growing plant materials, so with the team’s move to Northwest PMP, we’re now growing 121,200 plugs of sagebrush, bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, skunkbush sumac, and mountain snowberry at four correctional centers in Oregon, Wyoming, and Idaho — plus another 15,000 plugs of sagebrush in Corvallis. These plugs will be planted for restoration by partners including the Mule Deer Foundation, Tetra Tech, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.
Plant Materials Education & Outreach
In 2026, we were awarded two new projects that diversify our portfolio beyond seed collection and production. The first was funded by Western SARE, a granting program supporting farmer-focused research and education. Our new project — Establishing the PNW Native Plant Network to Unite the Native Plant Industry and Improve Sustainable Production for Restoration and Urban Landscapes — includes native seed farm and plant nursery tours, webinars, new resources for native seed production, and in-person peer-to-peer learning opportunities like the Pacific Northwest Native Plant Forum.
In addition to this grower-focused project, our native seed program team was awarded a contract from the Northwest Natural Resources Group to develop and lead three seed collection trainings in Tacoma, WA this fall. The trainings will cover an introduction to seed sourcing, seed sourcing for students and young professionals, and advanced seed training. We’re excited about this opportunity to share our expertise and build connections across the Pacific Northwest.
Though it’s not the same program it was this time last year, the addition of new projects — and new and familiar faces — has strengthened IAE’s efforts in plant materials development, making an impact across a range of ecosystems and supporting recovery efforts for federally listed species.
