projects
Research, Education, and Management of Wildlife in Oak Habitats & Prairies of Wildlife in Oak Habitats & Prairies: Synthesis of Current Knowledge
Funded by a BLM Interagency Special Status/Sensitive Species Grant
We are developing a collaborative program on wildlife conservation in oak habitats and prairies in the Willamette Valley . Our projects are developed with a goal of providing guidance on restoration of these important habitats and providing outreach to the public. Key projects include:
- Synthesis of existing information on wildlife response to oak habitats
- Developing a case study on monitoring wildlife with various oak restoration treatments
- Master's Thesis project investigating the role of isolated oak legacy trees to wildlife conservation in rural landscapes.
- Working towards convening a conference to bring together resource professionals interested in collaboration on oak restoration in the Willamette Valley
Conserving Northwestern Pond Turtles in the Willamette Valley
Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and an Oregon Zoo Future for Wildlife grant
As part of our program on Species at Risk , we have been working on approaches for the conservation of the Western Pond Turtle. Recently, we initiated a collaborative research and education program to identify management strategies to ensure the survival of this charismatic species that was once so common in the Willamette Valley but now is rarely seen. We are currently investigating methods to located nests efficiently and understand movement patterns of western pond turtles in pond and stream habitats. For more information...
Key Projects:
- Nest site management at the confluence of the Willamette & McKenzie Rivers
- Locating and protecting nests in collaboration with the Marys River Watershed Council
- Developing a proposal for a comprehensive, multi-site demography and movement study
- Identifying funds for producing a DVD on the ecology and conservation of the western pond turtle in Oregon
Detector Dogs: Evaluating the Capability of Canines to Assist in Surveys of Rare Wildlife and Plants
Funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Disney Foundation
For more than a decade, biologists have utilized the olfactory capabilities of trained detection dogs to perform a number of research and conservation tasks. Detection dogs have been used to locate desert tortoises, identify scats from different species, conduct searches for invasive weeds, and perform a number of other research services. OWI is collaborating with the Working Dogs for Conservation Foundation to develop protocols for detection dogs to perform searches for rare prairie plants in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. For more information...
Rogue and Dave are featured on The Nature Conservancy website
Conservation of Wildlife In Agricultural Ecosystems
An impressive suite of wildlife species can thrive in agricultural areas. By working with farmers and natural resource agencies, we are finding ways to improve wildlife habitat in productive farm lands. Key projects include:
- Studies on the ecology and management of Burrowing Owls in productive agricultural systems with an emphasis on both science and education. For more information...
- Modeling the dynamics of crop pest species and how different management strategies can minimize the potential for crop damage
- Learning what makes Gray-Tailed Voles become important pests in grass seed crops in the Willamette Valley, in collaboration with Oregon State University and the farming community. For more information....
Efficient and Reliable Monitoring Strategies
Monitoring wildlife populations takes on increasingly greater importance as habitats and landscapes are modified by and expanding human population. Identifying problems before they are too late and learning how management strategies such as habitat restoration are effective for wildlife conservation are vital roles that monitoring can play.
Key projects include:
- Developing conceptual approaches for monitoring wildlife populations
- Assessments of monitoring programs
- Development of species-specific monitoring strategies
Conservation Planning at Newton Creek Wetlands
Funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board & the Mary's Peak Watershed Council
OWI is collaborating with the Marys Peak Natural Resources Interpretive Center, the Marys River Watershed Council, and a team of natural resource specialists to prepare a conservation plan for the Newton Creek Wetlands Complex in Benton County, Oregon. The plan will address site-specific factors limiting populations of rare plant and animals and develop prescriptions for management of native prairies, Oregon white oak woodlands, and wetlands that occur on the site. For more information...
Sharing the excitement of wildlife and conservation: education projects
OWI believes that education is key to conservation, and in all of our projects we seek to share what we learn with the public. We have initiated several projects whose sole aim is to share the excitement of nature and the importance of conservation and ways that we can all contribute. We work collaboratively with Oregon State University and their extension programs, and community participants, such as Watershed Councils, to find ways to involve the public in conservation. Key projects include:
- Going Underground: The Natural History and Conservation of the Burrowing Owl (DVD available in English and Spanish )
- The Natural History and Conservation of San Joaquin Grasslands…. A video project just initiated.
- Turtle Days: working with the Mary's River Watershed Council to deliver hands-on involvement with western pond turtle research and conservation