>> For schedule of speakers, list of posters, and all abstracts, see links at right <<<
The CPOP Conference (April 9-12) will explore the diverse people and projects within our prairie-oak community. Presentations will focus on the research, professional experience, and traditional ecological knowledge that improves planning and implementation of conservation in prairie-oak communities in the Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Georgia Basin and Klamath Mountains.
Field Trips: Field trips are on Monday, April 9. Click here to learn more.
Featured Speakers:
Keynote Speaker
Cheryle Kennedy, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Tribal Council Chairwoman. Learn more about her here.
Banquet Speaker
David Craig, Professor of Biology at Willamette University. Learn more about him here.
Closing Address
Ed Alverson, Lane County Parks and CPOP Steering Committee Member
Welcome Symposium: Prairie, Oaks, and People (Tuesday 10:30 am – 12:00 pm)
This opening symposium will focus on the recently released conservation business plan for prairie-oak habitat conservation in the Pacific Northwest. Bruce Taylor (Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture) and Marko Bey (Lomakatsi Restoration Project) will provide an overview of the plan, outlining the case for long-term investment to restore a signature feature of the region’s historic landscape, and share experiences with applying its cross-cutting strategies to real world conservation needs. The session will conclude with a panel discussion of challenges and opportunities with experts from across the region (Tom Kaye, Institute for Applied Ecology; Lindsay Cornelius, Columbia Land Trust; and Jonathan Soll, Metro)
“Prairie, Oaks, and People: A Conservation Business Plan to Revitalize the Prairie-Oak Habitats of the Pacific Northwest” is the product of more than a year of work by a small group of CPOP partners to create the framework for a regional strategy spanning the range of oak and prairie habitats from northwest California to British Columbia. The document describes high-level strategies to recover listed at-risk species and address broader habitat needs, and outlines a 10 to 15-year investment strategy for coordinated conservation action across geographic and institutional boundaries.
SPECIAL SESSION: Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge in Conservation of Prairie Oak Systems (Tuesday 1:00 pm – 4:20 pm)
It is widely recognized that sound conservation practice should be based on the best available science. While this may provide more predictable and successful conservation outcomes for pre-identified goals, western scientific approaches to conservation may miss key priorities and histories of the target landscape. Integrating Indigenous knowledge, values, and ways of knowing and learning into collaborative conservation practice enhances our collective understanding of the ecosystem, honors the role Indigenous people have played in shaping the ecology of these ecosystems, and recognizes the importance of these landscapes to the well-being of Indigenous communities today. This session will address opportunities and examples of collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups for the overall conservation of cultural ecosystems such as prairies and oak woodlands of the Pacific Northwest. Organized by Sarah Hamman, Center for Natural Lands Management, and Joyce LeCompte, University of Washington.
SPECIAL SESSION: Stories from the Grove: Prairies and Oaks in the Peopled Landscape (Wednesday 1:00 pm – 4:20 pm)
This session is focused on issues and opportunities for enhancing the connection between people and oak and prairie habitats, within urban or communal landscapes that also serve the needs of human residents and/or visitors. These case studies help to emphasize and build upon the long term connections between humans and prairie and oak habitats, and the necessity of sustaining these connections – in the form of a reciprocally beneficial relationship- if we aspire to maintain these habitats on the landscape. Organized by Ed Alverson, Lane County Parks.
SPECIAL SESSION: Grazing for Conservation: How, When, Where, and Why? (Wednesday 1:00 pm – 4:20 pm)
Many of the prairies throughout the Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Georgia Basin Ecoregion have been dramatically altered by invasive species and intensive land use, including farming and various grazing practices. Despite experiencing some heavy and deleterious impacts, these lands have the potential to provide important resources for wildlife, including rare and endangered species. There is a great opportunity to enhance the prairie community on both working lands and prairie preserves through strategically developed and targeted grazing regimes. This session will focus on several important factors associated with grazing on prairie lands: 1) components of a grazing regime that support prairie and oak woodland habitat, 2) relationships between grazing regimes and rare species, 3) key partnerships and programs that can improve the success of grazing operations on prairie lands, and 4) examples of grazing prescriptions that both promote prairie habitat and maintain the bottom line for ranching operations. Organized by Sarah Hamman, Center for Natural Lands Management
WORKSHOP: Oregon Native Plant Curriculum: A Model For Adapting Place-Based Materials (Tuesday 8:30 am – 10:00 am)
Participants will be led through several native plant lessons and curriculum activities introduced in IAE’s From Salmonberry to Sagebrush: Exploring Oregon’s Native Plants. Lessons are interdisciplinary, encouraging exploration of Oregon’s ecoregions through science, cultural studies, mathematical analyses, civic action, arts, and reflection. Participants will learn how to use the curriculum, or adapt their own curriculum, to better promote the experiential inquiry growth of our next generation of ecosystem stewards. Led by Jessie Brothers and Stacy Moore, Institute for Applied Ecology