Pre-schoolers and children from the Elementary Chinuk Language Program had a great day digging up bulbs at the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde nursery in early November. The Natural Resources Department tribal nursery is part of the “Plants for People” project, funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, which is improving access to culturally important […]
A new vision of West Coast estuaries — and their losses
By Laura Brophy, Estuary Technical Group Director, March 2018 In October 2017, ETG Director Laura Brophy and collaborators at the Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership (PMEP) finished new maps of current and historical tidal wetlands for the entire U.S. West Coast. The mapping methods — originally developed by ETG in collaboration with Oregon’s […]
Clearing Meadows for Nelson’s Checkermallow
The range of Nelson’s checkermallow consists of highly fragmented, mostly small, populations within the Willamette Valley and flanks of the Coast Range, Oregon. One problem the species faces in the Coast Range is that meadows are being over-run with shrubs and Douglas-fir. In the past these meadows would have been kept open by more frequent […]
OSU students remove a pretty invader from Mary’s Peak
On October 28th we had a fantastic volunteer event at Marys Peak with over 50 volunteers and perfect weather! First and foremost thanks to all the volunteers, you all rocked! The focus of the event was to help preserve the meadow at Marys Peak. The meadow is increasingly prone to non-native species establishment and conifer […]
IAE benefits from local artist’s butterfly fundraiser
Never underestimate the power of one person to make a big difference. Corvallis artist Caroline Moses could have painted any butterfly. She was commissioned by local Corvallis salon owner Bessie Kotek, who wanted an interactive mural so that her clients would have a fun way to share their new salon looks with friends. But Moses […]
Tagging monarchs in New Mexico
“I got one!” Steve Cary calls through a thicket of seep willow in full bloom. He’s netted a monarch butterfly on the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in southern New Mexico. We convene at his pickup and get to work tagging this butterfly, a male with slightly tattered wings. It’s on a long migration […]
Nature as a Context for Learning
3rd grade teachers Ruben Sandoval from Garfield Elementary School and Susan Reeves from Adams Elementary School carefully dug through leaf litter looking for insects during an “ecosystem comparison” lesson at Bald Hill Farm as part of the IAE-sponsored teacher professional development workshop, “Exploring Oregon’s Ecosystems: from Oak Savanna to Riparian Woodland.” During the 3 day workshop, […]
Willamette Daisy Planting at Baskett Slough NWR
This spring IAE staff and volunteers, as well as many folks from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, helped over 1700 Willamette daisy plants find a new home at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located about 10 miles west of Salem. It was a perfect day for planting – not too hot, not too cold, […]
Put a Bird on It!
Do you ever get the feeling that you are being followed? That there’s something out there watching your every move? Well, on the last Crater Lake seed collection trip, the team discovered that was exactly the case. As they harvested seed from marumleaf buckwheat (Eriogonum marifolium), they discovered they were being shadowed by a tiny […]
Would you eat that? The Invasive Species Cook-off brings new foods to the community’s table
When you eat something, you want to know something about it. Many of us cook or order familiar foods and tend not to branch out often, especially with picky eaters in the family. The Institute for Applied Ecology’s Invasive Species Cook-off and annual fundraiser dinner works to raise awareness: when people try a new food, […]
Painting the Prairie – IAE Interns Monitor Golden Paintbrush in the Willamette Valley
by Christina Partipilo and Camille Eckel, IAE 2017 Interns The Willamette Valley is home to small pockets of native prairie habitats. Among these native prairie species is the threatened golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta), a species with glowing golden bracts. This once-abundant prairie wildflower was deemed “nearly impossible to cultivate,” and difficult to grow from seed. Since 2003, IAE has […]
Bringing Nature and Science Into Prisons
In June, a golden eagle named Jackhammer paid a visit to the Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Ontario, OR. Jackhammer and her handlers, Joe and Cordi Atkinson of Vale, were there to teach inmates about one of the top predators living in the sagebrush-steppe. The Atkinson’s presentation was one of several interactive lectures that […]