On Friday, October 16, 2015, crews from Philomath Fire & Rescue and Department of Forestry conducted a prescribed burn as a training exercise at Lupine Meadows, a Greenbelt Land Trust property near Philomath. IAE is working with Greenbelt to improve habitat for the endangered Fender's blue butterfly, which exists in small numbers at Lupine Meadows. The burn removed thatch from approximately seven acres of upland prairie and created an ideal seed bed for follow-up seeding of native flowering plants. The seeding, which will occur this fall, will increase the available nectar sources for the butterflies. IAE's work at the site is funded by the US Fish and Wildlife's Willamette Valley Multi-species Cooperative Recovery Initiative.
