Our programs:

Conservation Research

The goals of the Conservation Research Program are to (1)  conduct research and monitoring of native species and ecosystems in order to determine population trends and effective methods for management and restoration, (2)  conduct research on invasive species in order to determine effective control methods, and (3) develop plans for the management and restoration of native ecosystems.  In addition to smaller cooperative projects with federal and state agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service, we have two large projects, Prairie Restoration Research and the Benton County Habitat Conservation Plan in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy and Benton County, respectively.

Ecological Education

The Ecological Education Program at the Institute for Applied Ecology offers opportunities for K-12 students, teachers, and adult community members to engage in meaningful, place-based education through school-based programs, summer teacher workshops, Community Learning Courses, and volunteer work.  In addition, we create curriculum to engage the future stewards of Oregon in the study of native plants and restoration.

Native Seed Network

The Native Seed Network is a resource for both the restoration community and the native seed industry, providing search tools and information on all aspects of native seed.

The Native Seed Network advocates using native plant materials from local genetic sources to conserve biological diversity, and to maintain the adaptive capability of ecosystems, communities and plant populations.

We work with public agencies, educators and private groups to increase the availability of affordable native plant materials from local genetic sources.