Institute for Applied Ecology
|
|
The Institute for Applied Ecology works to conserve native species and habitats. With offices in Oregon and New Mexico, our work puts restoration, research, and education into action.
Volunteer
or
become a member
with a donation today!
"Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light." - Theodore Roethke
|
|
|
|
United by the love of birds!
|
Haga clic
aquí
para leer este blog en español.
This is the second year of the Willamette-Laja Migratory Bird Youth Education program, which unites elementary school students bi-nationally through ecological education and the shared language of Spanish. Students in the Willamette River Valley in Oregon and in the Laja River Valley in the Mexican state of Guanajuato are learning about the species of birds, or
aves
, and other species that they share.
Read More
|
|
|
|
Finding hidden gems among a sea of lava rocks
|
Field work can be unpredictable, especially in Southern Idaho’s Shrub-Steppe ecosystem, and our 2019 season checked all of the boxes, from crazy weather to ever-changing hitch schedules and roads that do not seem to exist. This year, the Conservation Research team at IAE began a new project as contractors for the Twin Falls District Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Southern Idaho. The project focused on vegetation monitoring to assess the success of post fire seeding recovery efforts, and our field sites were within Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Read More
|
|
|
|
New publication:
Rare orchid fading fast, climate change may be part of the problem
|
A rare orchid is losing ground in the western
United States. IAE researchers partnered with government agencies to revisit previously reported populations of the clustered lady’s slipper orchid (
Cypripedium fasciculatum
), only to find that many have disappeared. The results suggest that records of other rare species should be field-checked to determine if they are still present, or have shifted their locations, so they can be effectively managed on public lands. The paper was published in the online journal
PLOS ONE
.
Read More
|
|
|
|
In Appreciation: Frances Stilwell
|
IAE is very fortunate that Oregon artist Frances Stilwell has donated prints from her series titled "Oregon Botanical Landscapes: An Opportunity to Imagine Oregon Before 1800." Ms. Stilwell is a scientist and artist whose love of Oregon ecosystems shines through in her art
. The foam-core backed giclee prints will be available for sale at IAE's Stories from the Field event on Thursday, November 7.
Let us know
if you are interested in purchasing a print to support IAE's work!
Read More
|
|
Stories from the Field 20th Anniversary Celebration! 11/7
|
IAE is celebrating its 20
th
year as a conservation nonprofit! To thank its supporters and the community for helping the organization save endangered species and restore local lands, the Institute invites everyone to a special “Stories from the Field” event on Thursday, November 7, at 7 pm, at the
Corvallis Arts Center
. A brief presentation will feature highlights of creating resilient landscapes, studying pollinators, and engaging people in ecological education. Guests will have the opportunity to connect with IAE Board and staff over light refreshments and beverages. Botanical and landscape prints will be for sale, generously donated by local artist
Frances Stilwell
, with all proceeds supporting the mission IAE. The event is free and open to the public. Please reach out to
Michel Wiman
for more information.
|
|
|
Volunteer Opportunity: Champoeg State Heritage Area, 11/8
|
Come do your part to help IAE plant 4600 native plants at Champoeg State Heritage Area! Travel time from Corvallis is about 1 hour and 20 minutes to this state park northeast of Woodburn, and carpooling is available. Please RSVP to Andy Neill, andy@appliedeco.org.
|
|
|
Ecosystem Restoration Webinar: Diversity is Magic: Emerging issues in Selecting Appropriate Native Plants for Ecosystem Restoration
|
IAE Executive Director Tom Kaye will present the webinar “Diversity is Magic: Emerging issues in Selecting Appropriate Native Plants for Ecosystem Restoration” as part of a series hosted by the Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group to gain insight and knowledge about ecological restoration and to provide opportunities for networking and direct engagement.. Registration is free,
click here
to register.
|
|
|
Ecological Education Program
|
At the South Boise Womens Correctional Center (SBWCC) in Idaho, inmates are giving back to the community and gaining skills by raising sagebrush and bitterbrush plants for BLM restoration projects. Recently SBWCC women joined the BLM to plant some of their plants in the Morely Nelson Birds of Prey Natural Conservation Area. One woman commented, "It is a privilege to be in nature and away from prison and to know there is something besides walls. We receive respect out here and can help the environment." Officer Fuller was pleased with the women's work ethic and told the women, "Don't let someone label you as an ex-convict. I see you have a positive future. Turn around and look at all the plants you planted today - I want you to grow everyday just like these plants."
|
|
|
Habitat Restoration Program
|
The Habitat Restoration staff and Eugene’s non-profit Wallama Restoration Project were hard at work this month flame weeding at Oak Basin southeast of Brownsville, Oregon. The purpose of this practice is to reduce thatch and the prevalence of non-native annual grasses near patches of the federally threatened
Lupinus oreganus
(Kincaid's Lupine) and around the Oregon sensitive
Sisyrinchium hitchcockii
(Hitchcock's blue-eyed grass). This project is in partnership with the BLM’s Upper Willamette Field Office staff and private landowner/conservationist Oak Basin Tree Farm.
|
|
|
This past week IAE’s Northern NM Seed Crew worked at Bandelier National Monument, Los
Alamos, New Mexico on a seed collection project. In collaboration with the Nature Conservancy, NM Highlands University, Bandelier National Monument and Santa Clara Pueblo, we were working to harvest the benefits of a mast seeding year for ponderosa pine (
Pinus Ponderosa
), meaning an abundant seed year, for use after wildfires. Funding from TNC and NM Game and Fish supported our efforts. We had a blast working alongside Santa Clara Pueblo while collecting roughly 200,000 to 400,000 seeds. This project received a lot of media attention, with 360+ articles released nationwide.
|
|
|
IAE Board of Directors:
Ken Bierly, President; Cary Stephens, Vice President; Laurie Halsey, Treasurer; Deborah Clark, Secretary; Anne Bradley, Sarah Greene, Bob Hansen, Brandy Humphreys, Debbie Johnson, Shinji Kawai, Mak Estill, Carol Savonen
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
