UNDERSTORY INITIATIVE

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 fifth year, we expanded our restoration and monitoring work, launched Healing Landscapes culturally-specific education and therapeutic programming for Native communities, and grew our reach through digital media (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube.) We engaged youth and adults in creek restoration projects, hosted art programming, and partnered with local organizations for restoration and biological monitoring. We continued Tribal coalition-building through ongoing networking conversations. We launched our curriculum for 4th - 10th grade about Fire Ecology and Cultural Fire with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz and conducted two online teacher training workshops.

Restoration Services & Partnership Building: In 2023, The Understory Initiative continued to strengthen partnerships in the Rogue Basin and expanded to new networks. The Rogue Native Plant Partnership (RNPP) held six seed collection events, redistributing over 120 pounds of native seed. The Umpqua Native Plant Partnership (UNPP) launched a Native Plant Material Program, held its first native plant sale, and recruited five new local producers. They also acquired essential equipment, provided infrastructure incentives, and managed three production plans. The UNPP organized seven seed collection events, resulting in 8.2 raw lbs of native species, and conducted additional meetings and site tours. Additionally, our coordinators were active in the statewide Oregon Native Seed Strategy, and the Southwest Oregon Pollinator Collaborative (SWOPC) held quarterly meetings to facilitate collaboration among pollinator researchers and advocates. In 2023, seed production efforts were significantly enhanced by adding 10 new species to production, incorporating more farmers into the program, increasing the number of wild-collected species, and broadening the geographic range within the Rogue Basin Watershed for collections. Activities also focused on the production of coastal species through the Oregon Silverspot Recovery Challenge Grant, and the Pistol River Program, supporting four coastal farmers and producing seed/container stock from 18 species. These plant materials are essential for planned restoration projects on the SW Oregon coast. In 2023, we also experienced significant progress in our mission to restore native plant communities using locally produced seed. One notable achievement was the development and distribution of our locally produced Pollinator Mix through The Understory Initiatives Monarchs & Pollinators Initiative, which has garnered interest from other restoration practitioners aiming to create their own pollinator mixes.