Understory Initiative

FACILITATE THE RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION OF NATIVE SPECIES HABITAT THROUGH PARTNERSHIP & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

VESPER MEADOW EDUCATION PROGRAM: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PARTNERSHIP FOR SCIENCE AND ART, TRIBAL PARTNERSHIP, AND EDUCATION OF NATIVE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION ARE THE BASIS FOR VMEPS WORK. IN OUR THIRD YEAR WE CONTINUED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND GROWING OUR REACH THROUGH DIGITAL MEDIA (FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE.) WE ENGAGED OVER 150 3RD - COLLEGE AGE PARTICIPANTS, SHARED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND VIDEOS WITH OVER 100 LOCAL EDUCATORS, ART PROGRAMMING ENGAGING THREE ARTIST-IN-RESIDENTS AS WELL AS OVER 25 ARTISTS-IN-PARTNERSHIP. WE ENGAGED OVER 300 VOLUNTEERS AND TWO STUDENT INTERNS IN LAND STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES AND BIOLOGICAL MONITORING. WE CONTINUED TRIBAL COALITION BUILDING AND STARTED A FIRST FOOD RESTORATION MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE VESPER MEADOW RESTORATION PRESERVE. WE CREATED SEVERAL EDUCATIONAL ONLINE VIDEOS AND ALSO COMPLETED A DRAFT CURRICULUM FOR 4TH - 10TH GRADE ABOUT FIRE ECOLOGY AND CULTURAL FIRE WITH THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF SILETZ.

RESTORATION SERVICES & PARTNERSHIP BUILDING: ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION AND THE RE-CREATION OF RESILIENT NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT POLLINATORS AND OTHER WILDLIFE THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS IS KEYSTONE TO OUR MISSION. THIS WORK REQUIRES LONG-TERM PLANNING, INNOVATION, STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION, AND A DIVERSITY OF NATIVE PLANTS AND SEEDS. IN 2021 WE MAINTAINED OUR LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THREE WORKING GROUPS (KLAMATH SISKIYOU OAK NETWORK, THE ROGUE NATIVE PLANT PARTNERSHIP, AND THE SOUTHWEST OREGON POLLINATOR COLLABORATIVE) AND BEGAN COLLABORATING WITH OUR LOCAL COOPERATIVE WEED MANAGEMENT AREA GROUP. IN ADDITION, WE ALSO DEVELOPED AND DISTRIBUTED A 20+ SPECIES POLLINATOR SEED MIX TO OVER 8 PRIVATE LANDOWNERS WHILE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT LOCAL NATIVE SEED GROWERS.

ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND MONITORING: OUR RESEARCH AND MONITORING WORK INFORMS OUR RESTORATION STRATEGIES BY ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THREATS OUR ECOSYSTEMS FACE, THE EFFICACY OF VARIOUS RESTORATION TREATMENTS, AND THE TRAJECTORY OF NATIVE PLANT AND INSECT POPULATIONS IN UNDERSTORY HABITATS. IN 2021, WE CONTINUED OUR WORK WITH THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT TO MONITOR AND DEVELOP RESTORATION STRATEGIES AT THE FRENCH FLAT ACEC, TABLE ROCKS, AND THE CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT. OUR NRCS CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANT IS TESTING INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES FOR REPLACING NOXIOUS WEEDS WITH NATIVE MEADOW PLANTS. WE ARE ALSO DEVELOPING THE RARE PLANT MONITORING NETWORK OF SOUTHWEST OREGON, A COMMUNITY SCIENCE EFFORT TO FIND, MONITOR, AND CONSERVE RARE PLANTS THROUGHOUT SOUTHWEST OREGON. WE COLLABORATE WITH THE US FOREST SERVICE AND BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT TO IDENTIFY PLANTS OF CONCERN, THEN PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO VISIT AND MONITOR HISTORIC PLANT POPULATIONS.