Institute for Applied Ecology

Happy first day of April! We are elated to be sharing this month about an organization that is near and dear to our business, the Institute for Applied Ecology, or IAE. The Institute for Applied Ecology was established in Corvallis, Oregon in 1999. The IAE also has an office in the southwest corner of the United States in Sante Fe, New Mexico, which originated in 2015. The institute began as a one-person team with only a handful of seasonal botanists, but soon expanded into a larger team of many talents and expertise in areas such as habitat management, research and experimental design, restoration, education, and planning.   

The Institute for Applied Ecology’s mission is, “to conserve native species and habitats through restoration, research and education”. The team at IAE envisions a world in which, “all people and wildlands are healthy and interact positively, biological diversity flourishes, and environmental challenges are met with a social commitment to solving problems with scientific principles''. Some of IAE’s activities include: 

• A public service provided to the public, private agencies, as well as individuals through development and communication of information regarding ecosystems, species, and effective management strategies.
• Habitat restoration through partnerships with various agencies, organizations, and the public sector.
• Connecting the community with habitats through education and outreach.

Our team is particularly fond of the Institute for Applied Ecology because one of the species that the organization serves to protect is the Fender’s Blue butterfly and its habitat. Some of our customers may know that the name of our business, Fender’s Blue Hemp, was inspired by this endangered species of butterfly that lives near our farm. The butterflies’ host plant, kincaid’s lupine, grows on the hillside near the farm, and our team felt it was fitting to name our business after the beautiful species. Through our farm partner, Dai, we learned that the institute has been working for many years to preserve this species and their habitats in various parts of the state, such as around the Willamette Valley and at Henry Hagg Lake. We are grateful for the IAE’s work to protect habitats and species in our region while simultaneously educating the community about steps we can take to maintain this high level of ecological stewardship.

As always, a portion of all of our sales this month will be donated to the Institute for Applied Ecology. Visit IAE's website to learn more about the work done at IAE, the species they study, the habitats they protect, and how to get involved.