The RARE Partnership

    Growing plants and stewards of the Willamette Valley

    Lupine Meadows: Accomplishments from July 2006-June 2007

    From July 2006- June 2007, the RARE Partnership at the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) has partnered with the Greenbelt Land Trust to complete the following restoration efforts at Lupine Meadows, a 58-acre wetland and upland prairie managed by the Greenbelt Land Trust.

Seed Collection

    During summer 2006, IAE collected Kincaid’s

    lupine seed for reintroduction from Lupine

    Meadows. Our efforts yielded approximately

    1500 viable seeds which were used to grow-out

    transplants for reintroduction at Beazell Memorial

    Forest, Bald Hill Park, and Fitton Green Natural

    Area. In addition, some transplants were planted

    at the Plant Materials Center, where they will be

    grown for seed increase to help future

    reintroduction efforts. IAE plans to collect lupine

    seed again in July 2007.

Tours/Field Study

    During the fall of 2006, IAE brought students from

    Philomath High School (PHS) to Lupine Meadows

    for tours and ecological field studies. Students

    examined management strategies and dilemmas and integrates applied science techniques and critical thinking to discuss restoration ecology and management at Lupine Meadows.

Planting

    After growing Kincaid’s lupine, Nelson’s checkermallow, and related native species in school greenhouses, students from botany classes at Philomath High School planted 127 Nelson’s checkermallow in the wet prairie at lupine meadows in April 2007. These planting events were well attended with over 60 PHS students participating as well as 5 volunteers. In addition students planted the native prairie annuals Clarkia purpurea and Clarkia amoena on the

    southern portion of the upland prairie at Lupine Meadows.

Monitoring

    During June and July 2006 and 2007, the RARE Partnership has monitored rare and endangered plant reintroduction and augmentation success for the Greenbelt Land Trust. The purpose of the monitoring is to assess the techniques we are using for reintroduction and determine where

    improvements are needed and also to determine the extent of how many plants future augmentations should include to meet stewardship goals. We

    monitored 2005 and 2006 plantings of Nelson’s checkermallow, Willamette daisy and Kincaid’s lupine and 2006 plantings of clustered goldenweed (Pyrrocoma racemosa) at Lupine Meadows. Data will be analyzed in August 2007.

    Nelson’s checkermallow (Sidalcea nelsoniana) planted at Lupine Meadows