Bridging the Gap: Connecting Native Plant Materials Development with Successful Habitat Restoration

Successful habitat restoration depends on an adequate supply of native plant materials. Planting a diversity of native species provides ecosystem services for pollinators, wildlife, and people, as well as increasing ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change and invasive species. Lack of quantity and quality of native plant materials, both seeds and nursery stock, has significantly hindered landscape recovery efforts. To address this need, native seed partnerships are collaborating to expand native plant materials programs in many regions of the country, including the Southwest and Pacific Northwest.

This conference will bring together native plant producers, restoration ecologists and practitioners, and seed researchers to discuss progress and challenges related to increasing the supply of ecologically-appropriate native seed. Seed partnerships and collaboratives are innovative and key groups that engage multiple perspectives, pool demand, and leverage efforts across regions.  Author Doug Tallamy will present his work on the nature of oaks and Olivia Messinger Carril will present her work on pollinator networks. The conference will also include expert speakers and seed producer panels from the Pacific Northwest and Southwest.

The Willamette Valley Native Plant Partnership and the Southwest Seed Partnership, two regional plant materials partnerships coordinated by the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE), have come together to host the 2022 Native Plant Materials Virtual Conference. Registration includes links to live conference webinars on January 12 & 13 (Zoom via Whova platform), speaker bios, detailed agenda, and networking opportunities. This event’s agenda will display in Pacific Standard Time (PST). 

We hope you’ll join us!

Questions? Email [email protected]