We can restore prairies together!
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.
But we need you to support conservation. To join us in our work,
"All things seem possible in May." - Unknown
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One Step Closer to Willamette Daisy Recovery |
We are excited to announce that IAE has received a Recovery Challenge Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work on the recovery of one of the Willamette Valley’s rarest prairie species, the Willamette daisy (Erigeron decumbens). This perennial forb (or herbacious plant) is endemic to prairies in the Willamette Valley. Urban and agricultural development have greatly reduced prairie habitat in our region, leading to the decline of Willamette daisy, which was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2000. The focus of this new grant is to increase the total number of Willamette daisy across the landscape and to improve Willamette daisy habitat. Sounds simple, right? Well, not exactly… Read More
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Got Seed?
Expanding Native Seed Farming in the Southwest
Restoration practitioners in the Southwest region use native seed for many purposes including wildfire revegetation, rangeland restoration, erosion control, and reclamation after oil and gas development. Each year a huge quantity of seed is used across our region, but historically the seed that is available commercially may not be suitable for the arid southwest. While it is great news that the demand for ecologically appropriate native seed for use in Southwest restoration projects is at a record high, the supply has not caught up with this growing demand. Seed users identify this lack of species diversity and local seed sources as a major barrier to restoration success in our arid ecosystems. Read More
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Spring on the Farm and the Planting's Easy |
Spring is a period of growth and creation exemplified by the explosion of our native flora. From the small-sized big leaf maple leaves to the flowering of woodland and prairie plants, this is a time of expansion. At times this growth is so rapid that if you look away long enough no more are the maple leaves crumpled and unfurling, but they are larger than a palm and soon to be greater than a head. In many ways, these natural expansions and biologic processes are what we follow on the farm from dormancy, to flowering, and then seed harvest. Read More
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Stories from the Field Webinar Series
Windows on Biodiversity: An entomological tour
Webinar - May 27, 7 pm
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The presentation will explore the lives of the utterly common, and strikingly beautiful insects that inhabit backyards and vacant spaces. Pre-registration required; once registered, you will receive a Zoom link. Register here.
In lieu of our annual Stories from the Field fundraiser event, we have a series of webinars are on the the 4th Thursday of the month at 7 pm. Click for more information.
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Join Our Team!
Deputy Director position available in Corvallis office
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We are seeking a Deputy Director with a diverse skillset to manage operations and personnel at our main office in Corvallis, Oregon and branch office in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Deputy Director reports to the Executive Director, and provides direct supervision to five upper management staff, including four Program Directors in Oregon and a Branch Director in Santa Fe. The four programs include Habitat Restoration, Plant Materials, Conservation Research, and Ecological Education. Read More
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PLAYA Art + Ecology Workshop
July 15 - 18, Summerlake, OR
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This workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn from both a scientist and an artist and to experience how these fields inform and complement each other. Co-taught by scientist Stacy Moore from the Institute for Applied Ecology and artist Daniela Naomi Molnar, you’ll start with a full day of hands-on learning about the ways that water dwellers and plants flourish in PLAYA’s ecosystem. You’ll then be guided in applying this new knowledge of aquatic ecology and plant ecology to creative explorations that will deepen and augment your understanding of this unique ecosystem. You’ll return to your home ecosystem with new creative and informational lenses to apply to your life and art. To Register
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Staff Spotlight: Soledad Diaz
Soledad is a new Research Ecologist for the Conservation Research Program, where she is responsible for management and implementation of projects, grant writing, oversight of technician/seasonal staff, and maintaining and developing agency partners. She also conducts research, surveys and monitors native and endangered plants as well as invasive species, working with local, state, and federal agencies on joint projects emphasizing on-the-ground restoration and monitoring. She obtained her B.S. and Ph.D. in Biology at the Comahue University in Bariloche, Argentina, studying the ecology of the Austral parakeet, the southernmost parrot in the world, in the endangered monkey puzzle (Araucaria araucana) endemic forests in Argentina. Her postdoctoral work in Colorado focused on the endangered whitebark pine. Before coming to the IAE, she worked on several forest and fire ecology projects throughout the Northern Rocky Mountains in Colorado, Montana, and Vancouver, BC.
When she’s not analyzing data or studying the last news from the conservation world, she’s searching for mushrooms in the area, doing yoga, or planning and working on her veggie garden. Sole enjoys the outdoors, so camping, hiking, skiing, biking and canoeing with her two kiddos and husband are big parts of their family life.
So glad you are on our team, Sole!
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Staff Spotlight: Celeste Lebo |
Celeste is a new Restoration Ecologist at IAE. As part of the Habitat Restoration Program, her work focuses on restoring habitat for rare and endangered species in the Willamette Valley and along the Oregon Coast. Over the last two decades, she has worked for government agencies and coastal conservation groups restoring wildlife habitat and native plant communities, developing native plant propagation programs and materials, managing invasive species, and supporting restoration partnerships. Celeste received a M.S. from Southern Oregon University with a thesis researching the effects of prescribed fire and fuels reduction in oak-chaparral communities. Poetry, art, botany, family, and friends fill her time away from work.
Welcome to IAE, Celeste!
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A recent Tap Talk IAE's Estuary Technical Group Director Laura Brophy was the inspiration for this article from Pew Trusts on the under-appreciated benefits of tidal swamps. Once disregarded and drained for development, the benefits researchers have found include wildlife habitat, cultural importance and carbon storage. Read More
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Thank you to all who took action and purchased endangered Willamette daisies (Erigeron decumbens) during our Earth Month drive. You purchased over 300 plants for us to plant out in the central Willamette Valley in our Willamette Daisy recovery project. The earth, namely prairies and their pollinators, will benefit from your generosity.
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Looking for an easy way to support our restoration, research and education work? IAE is proud to partner with EarthShare, a federation of leading non-profit environmental charities, making it easy for Oregonians to share the responsibility for our environmental legacy. Many workplaces can deduct from your paycheck via Earthshare; ask your employer to set up a Workplace Giving account. If you have questions, please send us an email at info@appliedeco.org. |
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IAE Board of Directors:
Ken Bierly, President; Brandy Humphreys, Vice President; Cary Stephens, Secretary, Jack Halsey, Treasurer; Jason Bradford, Anne Bradley, Deborah Clark, Shinji Kawai, Judy Li, Carol Savonen, Sunia Yang
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