Institute for Applied Ecology

Institute for Applied Ecology Committed to the conservation of native species and habitats. The Institute for Applied Ecology was incorporated in 1999.
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We have grown from one full-time staff and three seasonal employees in 2000 to around 25 staff plus seasonal employees. During this time, IAE has developed four programs to achieve its mission: Habitat Restoration, Ecological Education, Conservation Research, and the Native Seed Network. In 2015, we opened an office in Santa Fe to work on conservation in the arid southwest, launching our SW Progra

m. See the Native Seed Network website (www.nativeseednetwork.org) for selling and purchasing native seed.

We are hiring a Coordinator for our Conservation in Prisons and Native Seed Partnership programs in Wyoming! To learn mo...
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.

Spring is butterfly season at our Northwest Office 🦋🌿From Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies at Baezell Memorial Forest to...
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.

Save the date! On June 27th we will be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of successful reintroduction of the Fender's ...
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!

IAE is hiring a seasonal Seed Collection Technician based out of Port Angeles, Washington. The position will work closel...
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

On May 20th, we will be inviting the public to come take a tour of our Native Seed Farm in Corvallis! The tour is expect...
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/

Inside the greenhouse at Central New Mexico Correctional Facility, trays are filled one by one with the beginnings of fu...
04/28/2026

Inside the greenhouse at Central New Mexico Correctional Facility, trays are filled one by one with the beginnings of future restoration projects. Each seed will eventually become a plant that will take root far beyond these walls.

The plants grown here will support our restoration work across the Southwest, including River for Pollinators, the Southwest Seed Partnership, Farmer to Farmer and efforts to recover the Nokomis silverspot butterfly. They will also help establish a pollinator habitat right here at CNMCF, bringing restoration into the yard and creating opportunities to engage with this work in a place where those opportunities are often limited.

This work is about more than growing plants. It creates space for learning, for building skills, and for contributing to something larger. As seeds take root, so do connections between people, place, and the process of restoration.

04/23/2026

Video 2 in our Plants for People series is almost here!

We’re excited to share the second video in this special project, highlighting how native plant restoration also helps restore culture, knowledge, and is rooted in sustainable harvesting practices.

As David Harrelson, Cultural Resources Department Manager, shares, “Without the ability to practice our culture on the landscape, our culture isn’t living.”

This video highlights how traditional stewardship creates abundance, not only for culturally important plants, but for the entire ecosystem. Through careful harvesting and restoration, these landscapes continue to grow stronger for future generations.
This work is made possible through a meaningful collaboration between Institute for Applied Ecology, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, with support from Oregon State Parks at this site.

Watch for the full video on our YouTube channel later this week.

04/23/2026

In celebration of Earth Day, Video 2 of our Plants for People series is now live on YouTube! https://youtu.be/PWLLbJu9oPo

This story explores how restoring native plants and landscapes helps us reconnect with our ancestors, seasonal rhythms, and the natural world.
As David Harrelson, Cultural Resources Department Manager, shares:
“Explaining to my kids about oak trees and about the importance of acorns, this is a really beautiful place to be able to share and engage with my kids"

From prairies and oak trees to culturally significant plants, this project shows how people, plants, and traditions thrive together and build abundance for generations to come.

Part of a project featuring 3 of the 7 restoration sites currently being restored through this partnership, created with Institute for Applied Ecology, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, with support from Oregon State Parks at this site.

Watch the full video now on our YouTube channel and share it to celebrate these connections!

https://youtu.be/PWLLbJu9oPo

Address

4950 SW Hout Street
Corvallis, OR
97333

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15417533099

Website

https://appliedeco.org/about/news/

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