Institute for Applied Ecology

08/26/2026

Our Southwest Assistant Branch Director, Katy Silber, will be sharing her expertise at the upcoming Think Like a Raindrop field day, hosted by the NM Healthy Soil Working Group.

Katy will talk about restoration principles and the Southwest Seed Partnership, with a focus on how native seed systems can support restoration. The field day will also feature a talk by Gordon Tooley about Keyline Design, an approach we’re partnering with him to use in our grassland bird habitat restoration work in the Chihuahuan Desert to improve water infiltration and support healthier, more resilient grasslands.

📅 September 12, 8 AM–3 PM
📍 Vermejo Park Ranch

Learn more and RSVP at https://www.nmhealthysoil.org/portfolio/think-like-a-raindrop/
Photo credit: Esha Chiocchio

Photo credit Esha Chiocchio, Mike Gaglio and Gordon Tooley The Practical Method of Keyline Design Please join us for a collaborative Field Day at Vermejo Park Ranch with Gordon Tooley of Tooley’s T…

08/10/2026

We are hiring for an Ecologist at our Southwest Office in Santa Fe, NM. Apply by August 19th at the link in our bio!

06/10/2026

IAE is hiring a Southwest Botanist based out of our Santa Fe, NM office! This position will support the Bureau of Land Management’s Plant Conservation and Restoration Program in New Mexico. This staff member will lead projects related to native plant materials, restoration, and Special Status Plant Species for New Mexico BLM.

To learn more and apply, visit appliedeco.org/get-involved/jobs

05/26/2026

We are hiring a Coordinator for our Conservation in Prisons and Native Seed Partnership programs in Wyoming! To learn more and apply, visit appliedeco.org/get-involved/jobs.

05/19/2026

Spring is butterfly season at our Northwest Office 🦋🌿

From Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies at Baezell Memorial Forest to Fender’s blue butterflies at Yamhill Oaks Preserve South, native prairie habitats are coming to life with color, pollinators, and signs of hope for some of Oregon’s rarest species.

At Baezell, TCBs were spotted fluttering about their host plants, Golden paintbrush and English plantain and even resting on Kincaid’s lupine. IAE has partnered with Benton County, USFWS, and the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility Butterfly Team for years to restore and study habitat that can support future reintroduction efforts across the butterfly’s historic range.

Meanwhile, it’s shaping up to be a strong year for Fender’s blue butterflies across their range, with high numbers observed so far this season. At Yamhill Oaks Preserve South, FBBs were photographed by IAE staff among native plants including Iris tenax. Fender’s blue butterflies are successfully reproducing and flying at the site after years of restoration by Yamhill SWCD, USFWS and IAE.

These moments are reminders that long-term restoration work matters — and that healthy native habitats support the incredible biodiversity that depends on them.

05/14/2026

Save the date! On June 27th we will be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of successful reintroduction of the Fender's Blue Butterfly at William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge.

Starting in 2000, IAE began planting Kincaid's lupine, the threatened host plant for Fender's blue butterfly, on Finley National Wildlife Refuge in collaboration with refuge staff. The effort started as research to develop best practices for introducing the lupine, and expanded to larger scale plantings at multiple sites on the refuge, creating the habitat that the butterfly has thrived on!

05/05/2026

IAE is hiring a seasonal Seed Collection Technician based out of Port Angeles, Washington. The position will work closely with the National Parks Service, collecting native plant seeds from Olympic, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Lewis and Clark National Parks.

The season runs from June 1st to August 21st. To apply, head to appliedeco.org/get-involved/jobs

05/04/2026

On May 20th, we will be inviting the public to come take a tour of our Native Seed Farm in Corvallis! The tour is expected to last 1.5-2 hours. If you plan on joining us, please wear sturdy shoes, bring sun protection and water. We hope to see you there.

RSVP at appliedeco.org/calendar

04/29/2026

Coming later this week: the final video in our Plants for People series.

This last story explores the people, places, and partnerships behind the restoration work happening across our homelands.

As Joseph Ham, Native Plant Nursery Assistant, shares: “Seeing the world through a lens that my ancestors saw… that relationship is invaluable.”

In this new video, learn how the nursery is helping grow culturally significant plants, from first foods to basketry and medicinal species, all of which creates greater access for Tribal members and strengthens our connection to the land.

Thank you to our partners Institute for Applied Ecology and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for helping us grow culturally significant species for distribution onto our homelands.

Look for the full release of the final video in the series later this week to see how this work is helping restore both landscape and connection.

04/29/2026

The last video in our Plants for People series is now live on YouTube! https://youtu.be/ogqUCf2v3MY

This powerful story is about more than restoration, it’s about reconnecting with culture, language, identity, and the land.

As Joseph Ham, Native Plant Nursery Assistant, shares, learning the Native names of plants creates “a deeper connection… that can’t be taken away.”

From restoring prairie habitat and increasing biodiversity, to creating access to culturally important plant materials for education, gathering, and community use, this work helps strengthen the connection between people and place.

Please take a moment to watch, share, and help us spread the story of this important work.

This video is part of a larger project featuring 3 of the 7 restoration sites currently being restored through our partnership with Institute for Applied Ecology and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

Watch now on our YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/ogqUCf2v3MY

To learn more about the Plants for People project, visit our website at https://www.grandronde.org/government/natural-resources/