Conservation for All!
Our mission is to conserve native species and habitats through
restoration, research and education. Our vision is a world where all people and wildlands are healthy and interact positively, biological diversity flourishes, and environmental challenges are met with a social commitment to solving problems with scientific principles.
To join us in our work,
"When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree." - Vietnamese proverb
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Protecting Prairie Pollinators |
New publication recommends insect conservation in the Great Plains
A team seeks to shed light on Great Plains pollinator declines in a new review article published in the journal Rangeland Ecology & Management, providing land managers and conservationists with practical recommendations to benefit pollinators. Insect and other animal pollination is required for 85% of flowering plant species, but information about how pollinators respond to disturbances such as fire, grazing, and pesticide application is limited. Snapshots of research show pollinators are in major decline in the Great Plains of North America; there are at least 12 species of bees and butterflies that are federally-listed as endangered, threatened, or at risk. Agriculture and development have caused a 95% drop in tallgrass prairie, resulting in vastly fewer flowers offering nectar and shelter that pollinators need. By raising awareness of the effects of management on pollinators, the authors hope land stewards will better care for pollinators, track their abundance, and time management actions around crucial events in their life cycles. Read More
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What's leaf got to do with it? |
Leaf Tissue Sampling for Restoration Genetic Research
New Mexico is home to a wide diversity of landscapes—from creosote and cactus flats of the Chihuahuan Desert to rolling hills and incised arroyos of pinyon-juniper forests to alpine peaks of the southern Rocky Mountains. The variety of climates and topography found across the state supports a parallel diversity in native plant species. Coupled with this is an unseen component of biodiversity: genetic diversity at the molecular level that can reveal the deep history of plant populations, as well as the biotic and abiotic factors that influence them. Although unseen, genetic patterns across a species’ distribution can have important implications for ecological restoration. Read More
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Restoration to the Rescue |
Based on the Henry Hagg Lake Annual Report 2019, Andy Neill & Andrew Esterson
Nestled in the hills near the city of Forest Grove, Oregon’s Henry Hagg Lake is a reservoir prized for summer swimming, fishing, recreating and boating pursuits. The reservoir was completed in 1974 via an earthfill dam, and provides important irrigation for farms, flood control, and drinking water for surrounding communities. The lake and adjacent land are owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and managed by Washington County Parks. The area is home to some of the largest known populations of Oregon’s endangered Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) and its host plant, the threatened Kincaid’s lupine (Lupinus oreganus). Each spring, Fender’s blue butterfly populations are surveyed to assess how they are doing. At the close of the 2019 analysis, 3,425 individual butterflies were counted at this site – nearly 15% of the species’ total population. Read More
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Staff Spotlight: Ashlee Wolf |
Ashlee is the Plant Conservation and Restoration Specialist for the IAE Southwest Seed Partnership, supported by the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management. She has 10 field seasons of botany experience in desert and forest ecosystems of Arizona, including work in rare plant conservation, seed collection, post-fire monitoring and rehabilitation, and botanical inventories. She recently completed her Masters degree in Environmental Science and Policy at Northern Arizona University where she worked in arid grasslands on the Arizona Strip to study the impacts of cattle grazing and long-term grazing exclusion on native plant communities. She is fascinated by the structure of grasses, and thinks of seeds as perfect and beautiful biologic units. She is most happy when wandering around and botanizing in wild places, but also enjoys line-dancing, bread-making or curling up with a good book.
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Opportunities for a Conservation Ecologist and Plant Materials Program Director!
Want to make a difference in Oregon habitat conservation and restoration? Two positions are available based from the Corvallis, Oregon office. We are committed to diversity and equity in our work place and to the communities we serve. Apply through the application on our jobs webpage. Please share with your ecologically-minded networks.
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Tidal Swamp Tap Talk, Dec. 1
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Did you know that prior to Euro-American arrival, over half of Oregon's tidal wetlands were forested "tidal swamps," and over 95% of those swamps are now gone? In these dense and tangled wetlands, young salmon grow fast as they prepare to enter the ocean, and a myriad of birds and other wildlife thrive in the shelter of spruce and salt-tolerant shrubs. These and many other surprising facts will be revealed in an upcoming talk about recently completed research on the history and diversity of Oregon's estuarine wetlands. IAE Estuary Technical Group Director Laura Brophy will be presenting "Little-known forests of the tidelands: Oregon's magnificent tidal swamps, past and present," in a Virtual Tap Talk on December 1 at 7 pm, in partnership with Block 15 and 500 Women Scientists. Virtual details to come. Read More
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Last month, ETG's Laura Brophy participated in a 2 day virtual symposium and workshop on "Barriers to Tidal Connectivity." The online event brought together fish biologists and wetland scientists across the U.S. West Coast to talk about how we can reconnect estuarine habitat to benefit fish, other wildlife, and coastal communities. Laura's presentation on "Effects of tidal flow barriers on the landscape array of fish habitats" raised awareness of the historical diversity of wetlands in our estuaries, how it's been reduced, and what we can do to bring back tidal wetland diversity and functions. At right is a tide gate on the Oregon Coast. |
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IAE and Marys River Watershed Council education staff have been virtually presenting the "Aves Compartidas" program to 3rd and 4th grade students at South Shore, Garfield, and Lincoln Elementary Schools in Oregon (see IAE's Tyler Knapp in the Zoom screen at right). Students in the Willamette watershed in Oregon and the Laja watershed in the Mexican state of Guanajuato are learning about their watersheds and how birds connect them through online video lessons and activities. Bilingual video lessons are available at willamette-laja.org/resources (English) or willamette-laja.org/recursos (Spanish).The Aves Compartidas program is part of the Willamette Laja Twinning Partnership.
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IAE is very grateful to have AmeriCorps Blue 4 team helping us plant this season! The crew, with help from IAE Restoration Ecologists, planted over 3500 native plants for a Benton County Natural Areas and Parks restoration project at the Jackson-Frazier Wetland in Corvallis, Oregon. They planted primarily large camas (Camassia leichtlinii), along with showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), meadow checkermallow (Sidalcea campestris), and white brodiaea (Triteleia hyacincthina). All plants were grown locally at SevenOaks Native Plant Nursery. Thanks for all your hard work, AmeriCorps!
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IAE Board of Directors:
Ken Bierly, President; Cary Stephens, Vice President; Laurie Halsey, Treasurer; Deborah Clark, Secretary; Jason Bradford, Anne Bradley, Mak Estill, Brandy Humphreys, Debbie Johnson, Shinji Kawai, Carol Savonen, Sunia Yang
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