Assisted Migration of Native Plants in the Pacific Northwest: Ecological Context, Ethical Considerations, and Strategies for Climate-Resilient Restoration

Matt Distler will introduce the ideas, terminology, and science behind the concept of assisted migration of native plants (AM), leading into a discussion of different types of AM and the potential risks and benefits of plant material translocations in the context of ecological restoration and forestry. We will discuss some risk-assessment and ethical frameworks that are being developed to evaluate and reduce the risk of negative ecological impacts from the practice. Finally, we will explore some ways that restoration practitioners are beginning to incorporate AM into their work and touch on current collaborative efforts to coordinate and facilitate decision-making, plant material acquisition, and project monitoring in the Puget Sound area.

Matt Distler is Conservation Program Manager at Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center, a non-profit focused on research, practice, and education around issues of sustainable land use and conservation. Matt holds a doctorate in ecology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and his research and restoration work over the past 20 years have encompassed invasion biology, Holocene paleoecology, wetland science, land management, and wetland, forest, and riparian restoration. Currently, his work focuses on wetland and riparian restoration and wildlife monitoring on working lands in western Washington. One rewarding element of Matt’s work over the last decade has been collaborating with other practitioners to consider and investigate the best approaches to adapt Pacific Northwest restoration practices to climate change.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Bellevue Botanical Garden, Aaron Education Center, 12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005

Program will be in-person and live streamed via Zoom. It will also be recorded.
Public Invited, Admission is free.  Donations are appreciated!

To learn more and to register, visit https://www.wnps.org/cps-events/central-puget-sound-assisted-migration-of-native-plants-in-pnw.