by Northwest Native Plant Materials Program, July 2025

IAE’s Northwest Plant Materials Program is honored to introduce, celebrate, and wish farewell to our outstanding Native Seed Farm Spring Interns.

These incredible interns have experienced the 2025 growing season with us every step of the way, witnessing native seed production come full circle. We are sincerely grateful for the time, skills, enthusiasm, and curiosity they have brought to our native seed production fields. To highlight their involvement with IAE and accomplishments over the past few months, we’ve asked them to introduce themselves to the conservation community.

Sophia Brownlee

Hi all! My name’s Sophia, and I’m an undergraduate student at Oregon State University studying Natural Resources with a focus on Ecological Restoration. I grew up in the Western Cascades of Oregon, in the McKenzie River Valley, and have long been fascinated by the workings of the natural world. Through my academic career, I’ve been fortunate to expand my knowledge about ecology, the social dimensions of managing natural resources, and my understanding of our diverse relationships with the land.

I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to intern at the Institute for Applied Ecology to apply concepts learned in the classroom and labs to the real world of restoration and producing native plant material. I’ve learned so much about the operational side of restoration, including seed collection, farming, cleaning, as well as the grantwriting process, community engagement, restoration planning, and techniques. I’m in my last term at OSU, and as I begin to close this chapter here and at IAE, I feel inspired to learn about and cherish native ecosystems, work to protect them, and continue supporting the people who dedicate their livelihoods to restoring them.

Jules Brice

Hi all, I’m Jules. I hail from Fairbanks, Alaska where I grew up playing on the banks of the Chena and Salcha Rivers. Oregon’s Willamette Valley and central coast also feel like home to me, as I spend lots of time with my contingent of relatives who still live here. I’ve lived in Western Washington for the past ten years working in the outdoor/environmental education and community food system fields. Currently, I am an OSU student working towards a Master’s of Natural Resources degree with an emphasis on restoration ecology in forest-riparian systems.

It has been a blast to work with the folks at the IAE farm this spring! I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from them while enjoying satisfying work, engaging conversations, and good laughs in the fields together.

To unwind and recharge, I enjoy tromping around in nature, playing music, sharing meals with friends, listening to audiobooks and comedy podcasts, skipping rocks, throwing frisbees, learning to play hockey, watching sports, and the occasional dance party. 

Rose Roberts

Hello! I’m Rose, but some folks also know me as Rosie. I’m a senior at Oregon State University and I’m about to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Crop and Soil Science and a minor in Botany. I have been volunteering intermittently with IAE since 2022, but I have been an intern with the Plant Materials Program, Northwest Office since April. Getting to work on the farm with so many beautiful and diverse native plants as they progress through their life cycles has been a joy, and it has enhanced my understanding of our native floral diversity and the ways in which dedicated restoration efforts can help to protect and preserve that diversity. It has also been great to get to know the IAE crew, and being surrounded by people who are passionate about the work they do is inspiring and uplifting.

Picking an absolute favorite wildflower is an impossible task, but the first one that comes to mind for me is Dicentra formosa, otherwise known as Pacific bleeding heart. Fun fact: the seeds of bleeding hearts produce a sugary, oily appendage called an elaiosome that is designed to attract ants, who are the plant’s primary seed dispersers!

Again, we send our heartfelt thanks to these people for everything that they’ve worked towards with us at the farm. We have no doubt they have bright futures ahead in their chosen fields. For specific farm highlights and projects, check out our most recent Instagram content, curated by Sophia!