(Photo | Courtesy of OSU-Cascades)
Last documented in the wild in Oregon in 1938, the iconic golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta) has disappeared from our state’s landscape because of agriculture, urban development and habitat invasion by exotic weeds. A few small populations remain in Washington and British Columbia, but even these have been in decline in recent years. The species was listed as threatened by the federal government in 2000, and in 2004 became one of the first plants in the country to have a reintroduction plan.
Since 2010, the OSU’s Institute for Applied Ecology has teamed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reintroduce this prairie plant to western Oregon grasslands. This presentation will provide the history of the species in Oregon, review research breakthroughs, and give a summary of reintroduction and habitat conservation successes (and failures) in Oregon and rangewide.
OSU-Cascades Science Pub takes place September 14, 6-7:30pm virtually on Facebook and YouTube Live.
Speaker: Tom Kaye, Ph.D., Department of Botany and Plant Pathology
Science Pubs are where you’ll meet OSU’s leading researchers and delve into their fascinating worlds.
Register here, links to Facebook live and YouTube live event will be sent to your email.