Michel Wiman, October 2018, with special thanks and photos courtesy of Tara Davis, Willamette River-Rio Laja Twinning Project; Heath Keirstead of the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District; and Kathleen Westly of Marys River Watershed Council. Why are one-third of all migratory bird species worldwide in decline? Most research points to habitat loss as the […]
The Progress and the Peavine
by Anna Ramthun September 2018 The thinleaved peavine (Lathyrus holochlorus) is a climbing perennial forb, or non-grass, prairie wildflower. Native to Oregon and Washington, it depends on transitional habitats, like edges of prairie and oak savanna, fence rows, and roadsides, and woodland clearings. Appropriate habitat areas have declined drastically, as prairie and oak savanna ecosystems […]
Seasons of Herbert Farm Natural Area
By Anna Ramthun September 2018 The Herbert Farm Natural Area is undeniably special. Located just south of Corvallis, the area was an important gathering and foraging spot for local Native American tribes, and is still regarded as an important cultural area by the modern Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde. The Institute for Applied Ecology […]
Restoring Pioneer Butte, one stick at a time
By Andrew Esterson September 2018 Wow, what a day and what a great volunteer crew we had to help with the Institute for Applied Ecology’s (IAE) Pioneer Butte restoration project! First and foremost, thank you to all of the Oregon State University students that volunteered for IAE’s Pioneer Butte project with the Center for Civic […]
Behind the scenes at the 2018 Invasive Species Cook-off
by Michel Wiman, August 2018 Photography by Owen Dell On a perfect sunny August afternoon near Wren, Oregon, I walk through tables dressed with apple-green tablecloths and little wreaths of Queen Anne’s lace and burdock. As the band warms up and guests arrive, community supporters bring dish after dish to the Cook-off contest table. This […]
In search of Willamette Daisy!
By Marisa Mancillas, Jillian Demus, Chelsea Osbron, and Amy Zimmer August 2018 This field season, IAE’s Habitat Restoration and Conservation Research Programs partnered to conduct a range-wide inventory of the endangered Willamette daisy (Erigeron decumbens). The goal of this project was to obtain an up-to-date status of this endemic plant and its associated habitat […]
Workshop on Selection of Native Plant Materials at ESA conference in New Orleans
Please join us at ESA Workshop 34 in New Orleans! Knowledge Café: Application of Emerging Topics in Plant Ecology and Evolution to Selection of Native Plant Materials for Restoration and Ecosystem Management All are welcome and there is no fee for this workshop. We would like to get a head count, so please click here […]
Memories from The View
By Nadav Mouallem July 2018 As the sun sets on our 12-week season in Lakeview, Oregon, we can’t help but reflect on all we have learned and experienced while living in ‘Oregon’s Tallest Town.’ From the onset, Lakeview presented a stark contrast to life in the Wilamette Valley–with a population of only 2,400 and a […]
Growing Oregon: A photo essay of native seed production
By Ian Silvernail June 2018 In the fall of 2016, the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) leapt into the world of native seed production in an attempt to help fill some of the requests for the seed that is so integral to effective habitat restoration. Tremaine and Gail Arkley are allowing us to put their Malabon […]
Making more milkweeds for monarchs: breakthroughs in milkweed seed germination
IAE staff, June 2018 Monarch butterflies are declining at an alarming rate, in part due to the widespread loss of milkweeds, the plants on which all monarchs depend. Without milkweeds, monarch butterflies have no place to lay their eggs and feed their larvae. One action people can take to help monarchs and other pollinators is […]
Botanizing in the Oregon Outback
Written by Nadav Mouallem and Clarissa Rodriguez May 2018 This season IAE has expanded into new territory, with a crew based in Lakeview, OR. Unlike the lush forests west of the Cascades, Lakeview sits on the edge of Oregon’s high desert country and aptly calls itself “The Tallest Town in Oregon” (at elevation of 4,800 […]
Get to know the 2018 Conservation Research crew!
By Lisa Schomaker, Mary McKean, and Michelle Yasutake May 2018 With the many crews we have going this summer, it can get tough to keep track. We have crews focused on conducting surveys for Willamette daisy, Streaked horned larks, as well as crews conducting surveys for a variety of species throughout Oregon. There are lots […]
Tramplers, Stumblers and Rollers: Observations from our first 2 weeks as interns
By Samantha Hooper and Mary McKean May 1, 2018 The first two weeks of Conservation Research field work were an immersion in the spectacularly interconnected landscape of Oregon’s native and exotic plant life. We joined Andrew from IAE’s Habitat Restoration team at the West Eugene Wetlands for our first field day, where we mulched a […]
Volunteers help restore endangered Willamette daisy (Erigeron decumbens) at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge
By Ashley Ottombrino-Haworth, April 2018 This spring, staff and volunteers from the Institute for Applied Ecology and US Fish and Wildlife Service teamed up to plant over 4100 Willamette daisy starts at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, 10 miles west of Salem, Oregon. Twenty-three total volunteers helped plant for this two-day field trip. The reason: […]
Calling all streaked horned larks!
By Monika Lapinski & Michel Wiman, March 2018 The streaked horned lark is native to Pacific Northwest grasslands, prairies and dunes. While the birds eat a wide variety of seeds and insects, it is a ground-nesting bird, requiring very sparse vegetation free of trees and shrubs. Its historic range from British Columbia through southern Oregon […]